A Dream Come True
by three amigas
Summary: Chapter 21 is up! What if three best friends woke up in middle earth? With these three, you'll never know how it will all turn out! You'll just have to read and review!
1. Good Morning

A/N: Hey! Waz up!!! Ok so here we go again with another one of those "falling into middle Earth" things. Come on... you know you love them. ;-) But see this time its 3 best friends waking up in middle earth. Oh boy! And those 3 best friends are all writing this fan fiction. We are all major fans of LOTR and will do everything we can to follow the storyline as best we can. However you should realize that we are throwing 3 characters into the story so umm..... well honestly not all of the fellowship is in this fan fiction. Well actually we are only missing one character, Frodo. *hides behind table as Frodo fans throw tomatoes* So if you are a Frodo fan well then this isn't the Fanfic for you. Obviously there will be changes in the plot and you will see that as you go along. There might be some romance, we have yet to decide that but you know, anything can happen between now and the end of this fanfic. If you have any input please R&R or just R&R to tell us how we are doing with the story. So ummm... I don't know what else to say except sit back relax and enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places ect.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Chapter One  
  
Ali awoke with a shudder. "Where am I?" she asked out loud. She tried to sit up, but she felt a sharp pain in her side.  
  
"Lay back down Miss Ali. You have been injured. Mr. Gandalf will come here soon."  
  
"I have? When? Where? How? Who are you?"  
  
"Please, you need to rest. You are confused, Miss Ali. All answers will come to you in due time."  
  
Ali watched as the small man exited the room. "It can't be!" Ali thought to herself. "No way!" Just then, Abby came bursting into the room.  
  
"Ali! Something has gone seriously wrong here! I don't think we're in Lawrenceville anymore."  
  
"You think," said Ali sarcastically. The two girls studied each other for a moment.  
  
"Abby?" asked Ali slowly, "since when did you get taller, your hair grow longer, and where did you get that dress?"  
  
Abby answered in equal questioning, "Ali? Since when did your hair grow longer and... Oh my gosh!"  
  
"What?! What?! What's wrong?!" asked Ali in alarm.  
  
"Since when did you have pointy ears?"  
  
Ali slowly lifted her hands to her ears.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I have peaked ears!"  
  
Suddenly the door swung open and a blonde head poked in. It looked around and said, "Nope. Not here," then it disappeared and the door shut.  
  
"Ali, did you see that?"  
  
"Ya. Lindi is here and just left us here. She didn't even say hi or see what was going on."  
  
"No!" said Abby in shock, "Lindi was wearing a dress!"  
  
Both girls started laughing until Ali fell back with pain.  
  
"So what do you think she is doing?" asked Abby.  
  
"Hmm... well, what else would Lindi do if she were in Middle Earth? Look for Legolas of course!"  
  
Suddenly, the door opened again. Another elf ran into the room and slammed the door behind him.  
  
"Oh no," Ali said, groaning in pain. She had tried to sit up to see who it was. That had not worked. However, she instantly recognized who it was.  
  
"Help!" Legolas whispered fiercely. "There is an elf running around looking for me. For some reason, she SCARES me."  
  
Abby began to laugh. Ali, attempting to keep a straight face, responded, "You should be afraid. That elf is our friend, and I believe she is MADLY in love with you."  
  
Legolas rolled his eyes and groaned. Ali again tried to sit up and again groaned, this time from frustration as well as pain. Legolas walked over to the bed.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Legolas asked, somewhat concerned.  
  
"Fine," Ali said. "Except for the fact that I have no idea how I got here and how I got injured. Exactly what happened?"  
  
"I don't know how you got here or how you were injured," Legolas said.  
  
"A wealth of information and knowledge..." Ali muttered underneath her breath. She had to laugh at the irony. Legolas was worried about her while Lindi was searching high and low for him. Oh well. This was the punishment for leaving her friends without checking on them.  
  
"So, how are you feeling?" Legolas asked again. Ali looked at him strangely. "About the same as twenty seconds ago," she said, more than a little confused.  
  
"Oh," Legolas said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Ali just figured it was because Abby was now staring at him.  
  
She quickly looked away, a fleeting smile on her lips. Suddenly serious, she said, "Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood, while we would love to welcome you 'properly', my friend here is, as you can see, not in a very comfortable situation." Abby looked at him once again, "If your Leglessness—I mean your Highness—"  
  
"What?!" asked Legolas, staring at her in disbelief.  
  
"Oh.. I see you are more dimwitted than I thought." Seeing him look at her inquiringly, she added, "Your NAME. Legolas. It was a JOKE." Seeing his growing look of annoyance, Abby said, "I thought elves were supposed to have a sense of humor!"  
  
"If you were not one of my own kind, you would be very sorry for provoking me," Legolas replied, his eyes glinting.  
  
"Oh look--- your pride is showing!"  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?"  
  
"You're just an arrogant little prince that wants to follow the seagulls! And is your hair ever messed up? Why don't we switch heads? Yours would look better on a girl's body!"  
  
Legolas pulled out his bow and automatically had an arrow set to it. "You have insulted me beyond belief, and I would suggest you take it back, or I might forget you are an elf!"  
  
"I'm not scared of you! You're just a little pansy boy that pretends to be tough!"  
  
Ali had been watching this exchange with mild interest. Knowing that Abby could take care of herself and that if she tried to intervene she would hurt herself, she decided to stay in bed. She was just wishing she had a bag of popcorn to munch on during the entertainment when Lindi popped into the room.  
  
Legolas, suddenly forgetting Abby and the insults she had thrown at him, turned the bow on Lindi in fear of his life.  
  
"It's about time you showed up!" Ali said. Lindi didn't speak. She just stood there in the doorway looking dumb struck.  
  
"Lindi? Lindi? Are you OK? Lindi?"  
  
Lindi continued to stand in shock.  
  
"Is she alright?" asked Legolas a little less petrified.  
  
"Lindi! Say something! Do something!" exclaimed Abby. Without warning, Lindi took off running down the hall.  
  
Legolas just stood there staring at where Lindi had been standing a moment ago.  
  
"Well?" asked Ali.  
  
"Well what?" asked Legolas.  
  
"Aren't you going to go after her?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because when she is in this state, there is no telling what she might do!"  
  
Legolas pondered for a moment then nodded, "Well, fine. She might be creepy, but I don't want her to really get hurt."  
  
"Thank you," said Ali with a sigh of relief.  
  
"But when I get back, I expect an apology from this subservient little—"  
  
Ali cut him off, "Just go now!"  
  
Without another word, he was out the door.  
  
"Do you really think Lindi will do anything stupid?" Abby asked.  
  
"With Lindi, anything is possible. Besides it gets you two apart. What were you thinking talking to him like that?"  
  
"What? I was just stating my opinion. What's wrong with that?"  
  
"WHAT"S WRONG WITH THAT?!?!?! If Lindi ever finds out what you said to him, you'll have more to worry about than the bow and arrow! Your head will be on her wall!"  
  
"Ya. I guess so. I might apologize if he shows up with Lindi."  
  
"Good girl!"  
  
Just then Elrond walked in. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Ali was getting sick of this question. "I'm fine! Just fine! I might as well get up and start dancing!"  
  
"No, No. Don't do that. You are badly injured. Please be still."  
  
"I will if you will let me know how I got hurt and how I got here!"  
  
"You don't remember?"  
  
"If I knew, why would I be asking?"  
  
"Good point. Let me explain, but first, where was the Mirkwood prince off to in such a hurry?"  
  
"He went to save a friend from herself.  
  
"What?" asked Elrond quizzically.  
  
Ali rolled her eyes, really sick of trying to explain Lindi's behavior. "Never mind," she said. "It is kind of a long story that I really don't feel like explaining right now. Especially in my 'condition,'" she said, continuing her sarcasm. Elrond just shook his head.  
  
"Anyway, how did I get hurt?" Ali finally asked.  
  
Elrond began his explanation: "It was a misty morning not five days ago..."  
  
*Well that's our first chapter hope you like it! We will try to update weekly or twice a week. Hopefully twice a week. Have a nice day!  
The Three Amigos 


	2. Rivendell

A/N: Ok another chapter four your enjoyment. However... will we know if you enjoy this if you don't review! Please ppl. I always review after a read a fan fic. Just 3 or 4 word Review would do just fine! Please:-D It would make us soooo happy. And if we 10 reviews before Tuesday we promise to update the day we get the 20 reviews. Otherwise you will just have to wait for our once or twice a week posts. We really want to post more but we need to have a reason to. Anyway so here is chapter two.  
  
**Note from Lindi: Ok people. I need to clear something up here. I admit I am just a little obsessed with Legolas and Will Turner and Orlando Bloom. Now these first few chapter portray me as a literal *dumb blond*. As true as it may be, I do have some since of reality and have a life outside of LOTR. Well sorta. So I will try to be a good little girl around Legolas... trust me I have 2 friends who keep me in touch with reality.**  
  
Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places ect.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Legolas, easily the fastest elf in Rivendell, caught up with Lindi. He grabbed her arm and swung her around. She attempted to scream (whether in frustration or delight), but no sound came out.  
  
"Are you Lindi?" Legolas asked in apprehension.  
  
Lindi could barely manage a nod.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.  
  
Again, only a nod.  
  
"Let's go back to the room where your friends are..." He added under his breath, "Before you hurt yourself or me."  
  
When she did not move, he grabbed her arm again and dragged her along.  
  
They got back to the room about half an hour after they had left. As they entered, Elrond was saying:  
  
"So you see why we brought you here."  
  
"So after that long winded explanation, I still don't think that I know what happened," Abby said in the sassy voice that had gotten her in trouble with her parents back on planet earth.  
  
"It means," Elrond explained a little too patiently, "that your injured friend was found with the ring around her neck by my daughter Arwen. She was stabbed by a Nazgûl and in danger of death. YOU were attempting to carry her when Arwen found you, but by the time she had reached you, you'd collapsed."  
  
"What?! But FRODO! You know... the HALFLING, was supposed to have The Ring!"  
  
"Frodo? Who is this halfling that you are speaking of?" asked Elrond quizzically.  
  
Ali wasn't listening at this point. She reached for the thing that was hanging around her neck. As she drew out the ring on its chain and she looked at it, she grew pale. "Great," she muttered. "Just great..."  
  
As she examined The Ring, hardly able to believe she was holding this thing, Legolas dragged Lindi into the room.  
  
"Hola, Lindi," Ali said. "Look what I found," she said with a sarcastic look on her face.  
  
Lindi's jaw dropped open and she started laughing. Elrond scowled.  
  
"This is no laughing matter," he said sternly as Abby started laughing as well.  
  
"Come on Elrond," Ali said. "I don't think we need to go around with frowns on our faces just because we are facing almost certain doom," Ali continued, her eyes glinting mischievously.  
  
"You were stabbed by a Nazgûl's blade!" Elrond replied. "That is no laughing matter."  
  
Ali's eyebrows raised, "Would you rather have us break down in despair?" she asked coldly. "We could always do that if you would prefer."  
  
Elrond just scowled again and led them to dinner.  
* * * * *  
  
"So Lindi," said Ali. "What's up with you?" Lindi still couldn't speak. She didn't touch her food or look at anyone. She just sat in her chair and stared out of the window. "Alright! That's it!" exclaimed Ali. She painfully stood up, grabbed Lindi by the arm and dragged her down the hall to her room. She pushed Lindi in, closed the door behind her, and asked forcefully, "What is up with you? You're never like this! Here we are in the place we have always dreamed about and all you can do is run down halls and stare out windows! Legolas is trying to talk to you! Did you hear me? L—E—G—O—L—A—S! You know. Prince of Mirkwood: love of your life!"  
  
"Ya, I know. But Ali, he hates me!"  
  
"You're creeping him out! You're calling out his name and looking for him. Then you find him and freeze. Then you run away from him which then forces him to chase after you. Then he finds you and has to drag you to dinner. Now you're just sitting there and staring out the window. If you ask me, that's creepy!"  
  
"What do I do now then?"  
  
"Well... Why not do something with him? You know... like sparing or archery or something like that."  
  
"Do you think he would?"  
  
"I'll talk to him and set it up, but you have to promise to talk and actually do something besides stand stiff or run away. Promise?"  
  
"Ya. I guess."  
  
"Okay then! Now let's go back, because I'm starved!"  
  
"Oh. By the way, are you okay?"  
  
Ali rolled her eyes. "All things considered, I'm doing just fine. I was just stabbed by a Nazgûl, carried to Rivendell, found to be possessing The One Ring (which I will probably have to take to Mordor through terrible trials, etc.), and now I am trying to set you up with Legolas, oh keeper of the shrine! I think I'm holding up quite well!"  
  
Lindi looked a little unhappy. "If trying to set me up with Legolas is going to cause you major trauma—"  
  
Ali cut her off before she could finish. "Lindi, that will just help me keep my mind off of all the other stuff. That is something I can handle!" And with that, Ali went off to talk to Legolas.  
  
Lindi rolled her eyes. "Great. Ali's playing matchmaker. I guess some things don't change."  
* * * * *  
  
"Legolas!" Ali called as he walked down the hall in front of her. He stopped and turned around. "I need to ask you a favor," Ali said.  
  
"Okay..." Legolas said cautiously. "By the way, are you okay?" he asked, noticing that Ali grimaced slightly as she walked.  
  
"I am SO sick of people asking me that!" Ali yelled. Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm sorry," Ali said. "I'm just sick of everyone worrying about me. Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you would be so kind as to do something with Lindi..."  
  
"Like what?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Just, you know, some sparing, archery, something... just so she isn't so... paranoid around you. I think you would both feel better after. She wouldn't act so weird around you then."  
  
Legolas still looked skeptical, and a bit nervous. Sighing internally, Ali made one last attempt. "Please?" she said, looking and sounding as pitiful as possible. Rolling his eyes and groaning, Legolas finally agreed.  
  
"She's out back," Ali said, looking much better. "Oh, and try not to be too hard on her," she called over her shoulder as she walked off. She was going to find a balcony so she could watch what would happen.  
* * * * *  
  
Abby was sitting at the table, staring into the soup bowl. She was hoping that the mushy carrots might tell her how to deal with "His Royal Highness." Everything in the movies suggested that he was a nice guy. However, Abby had found him arrogant in the books. It must just be her.  
  
She was thinking these thoughts as Lindi was swept by by that same self- serving prince. In surprise, Abby dropped her spoon in the bowl, splashing broth all over her dress. "AARGH!" She hated dresses, nonetheless, ones that were perfectly white and easily stained. Her form of clothing would have to be changed before she found out what was going on with Lindi and Legolas.  
  
She immediately excused herself, saying she needed a beauty rest and headed out. After much searching, she found what she'd been looking for.  
* * * * *  
  
Lindi followed Legolas to the archery practice court. She had her own bow and arrow at home, but she hadn't practiced lately. She hoped she could remember everything... including not to drool all over the extremely hot body in front of her. It was very hard to do.  
* * * * *  
  
Ali was settled comfortably on the balcony when she was joined by a stranger. He was tall with long blonde hair and such that Legolas wore. She tried to get a look at his face, but she was unable to at the moment. He seemed thoroughly intent on what was happening below.  
  
When she finally managed a glimpse at his face (without staring of course), she started. This was no elf man!  
  
"The dress was too painful. I needed to change," was Abby's simple answer to Ali's unspoken question.  
* * * * *  
  
When Legolas and Lindi had reached the archery range, Lindi put aside her cloak, for it would only hinder her movement. Freedom of the arms was essential to good aim. She tried not to look at the Mirkwood Prince, but her efforts were short lived.  
  
"Now," said Legolas, "here are the rules. Each one of us has ten arrows and before us are ten targets. The one who can hit all ten targets the most accurately will win this event."  
  
"This event? You mean there is more than one?" Lindi was in shock. She had spoken to him in a regular, calm voice. Legolas looked as surprised as Lindi but just continued on.  
  
"Why, yes, of course. We are also going to practice swordplay. Is that a problem?"  
  
"No. Of course not."  
  
"Good. Then let us begin."  
  
The first target, to Lindi's relief, was a very easy one. She hit a perfect bull's eye and so did Legolas. It went like this for all of the following targets. Lindi would shoot a bull's eye, and the prince could match it. Then came the last one. It was a near impossible shot. Lindi took aim and released. The arrow soared through the air and landed on the far outside area of the target.  
  
Legolas knew he could hit a perfect bull's eye, but then he looked up at the balcony and saw two figures staring at him. He recognized Ali's piercing glare. He reluctantly took aim and shot wide right of the target. He then turned to Lindi:  
  
"Well, I guess you won."  
  
"Oh come off it. I saw the move you made. You did it on purpose. Now come on. Shoot for real. I know you can hit that. Now try again."  
  
Lindi walked over to his quiver, which he had set down, and picked up an arrow and tossed it to him.  
  
"Now come on and shoot."  
  
Legolas groaned and then took aim and fired. Just as Lindi had predicted, he hit a perfect bull's eye. But now he had shot, it was on to fencing. She knew she was doomed.  
* * * * *  
  
Ali and Abby watched as Lindi and Legolas shot at the targets below.  
  
"What are they doing?" Abby asked.  
  
"They are having what I would call a 'bonding moment,'" Ali said, grinning mischievously. Abby frowned. "What's wrong?" Ali asked her friend.  
  
"Nothing," replied Abby.  
  
"Liar."  
  
Abby sighed. "I just don't like them spending so much time together," she began.  
  
Ali couldn't help but laugh. "Oh yes, they are spending WAY too much time together Abby," she said with her wicked grin.  
  
Abby groaned, "Let me finish! I just... never mind."  
  
"Okay," Ali said. "Now let's watch the next round: sword fighting. This should be good."  
* * * * *  
  
Lindi was somewhat nervous. No. Nervous wasn't the word. Terrified was much closer. She and Legolas were standing near the targets, but now their bows and arrows were lying nearby. They now had swords. Lindi was somewhat relieved to see that there was a protective sheath over the tips of the swords.  
  
"Are you ready?" asked Legolas.  
  
Lindi nodded.  
  
"Ready... go!" Legolas said. 


	3. Sword PLay

A/N: Ok ya I'm sry about the last chapter's A/N. I was typing it at like 3am to make sure it got posted . See how dedicated we are to getting this Fan Fic out to you? I apologize for the miss spellings and any thing else that mistyped. So this is an interesting chapter. Kinda shows you that as creepy seems to be she really doesn't take crap from people or charity. So please R&R! I would really like to post more often. We might end up using some Elvish in this Fan Fic b/c ... well... we are elves. We're sry if we don't translate something right. We're trying! That's all that matter. So Enjoy! Abby note : Actually, I apologize for part of this section. It contains a sword fight, which, unfortunately, is not of the highest quality. Please do not judge our writing by my horrible sword fight here. We promise we're better than that. Thanks!  
  
Chapter Three  
  
This could possibly be the funniest thing Abby had ever seen. She knew Lindi had practiced sword fighting in her room when no one was watching, but...  
  
She didn't need to finish this thought as the two figures below pulled their swords from their belts. It was interesting to see Lindi wear a sword belt around her flowing, purple dress. It seemed that Legolas was going to go easy on Lindi to begin with, so he could gauge her level of ability. It was apparent that he did not want to severely maim Lindi, just a little.  
  
She came at him with a lunge, using his cautiousness to her advantage. He stepped back, surprised at her aggressiveness. He then attacked switch side strike before she could regain her footing. When she brought her sword up to block, he disengaged and went into a reverse turn attack catching Lindi, by surprise.  
  
Lindi none the less managed to block again, but this caused them to be hilt to hilt. This situation was a test of strength. Legolas bore down, forcing Lindi to her knees. She managed to roll away from this, knowing it was futile to continue that fight. She stood again with her sword at the ready. Seeing she was losing at regular sword fighting, she decided to try something she had learned in a house of brothers.  
  
Lindi hooked a foot around Legolas' ankle, putting him off balance. He fell down, but (since he was an elf) he got to his feet in a split second. He snaked his sword around Lindi's, and it was flung aside. He quickly went around behind her and brought his own sword up to her neck.  
  
"Lle lava?" (Do you yield) he whispered into her ear.  
  
"I have no choice."  
  
"Lle ume quel."(You did well)  
  
"Lle wethrine amin."(you cheated)  
  
"I cheated? How, did I happen to cheat?"  
  
"You made me drop my sword."  
  
"Well, you made me fall."  
  
"Fine. Alright. You win."  
  
Legolas removed his sword from her throat and walked over to where Lindi's sword had fallen. He picked it up and brushed the dirt off of it. He then began to think. Lindi had a lot of perseverance. What if he could teach her swordplay? He turned back around and watched as Lindi gathered up her bow and quiver. As creepy as she had seemed, she also had spirit. She could learn, but he would need to talk to Ali about this. After all, he didn't really know what he was getting himself into.  
  
He walked over towards Lindi. She heard him behind her. She turned around and without even looking at him, she took her sword and sheathed it. Without another word, she headed back to the house of Elrond where Ali and Abby were waiting.  
  
Legolas gathered his weapons, and he also headed up to the house. Just then, a hand fell upon his shoulder. He turned around and there was Elrond.  
  
"Lord Elrond," Legolas bowed politely. "How may I be of service?"  
  
"Legolas, I am holding a secret council in order to decide what to do about The Ring. You need to help me spread the word to the select few that are coming. I have already informed the elven members and the dwarves. If you could just please inform those of the race of men and your three companions."  
  
"Ya?"(Who) asked Legolas.  
  
"The three elf maidens. Ali needs to attend, and I know the two others will make it a point to follow their friend. They have a special bond of friendship."  
  
"Yes. Of course."  
  
And with that, Elrond and Legolas made their way back up to the house in silence. They parted near the doors.  
  
"Elrond is VERY secretive," someone commented as Legolas entered the house. Turning around, he saw Ali and Abby standing at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Let me guess," Ali continued. "The council will also be outside." She looked as if she were about to laugh.  
  
"Well, as you two are obviously informed," Legolas said, "I shall be going. Qual re."(Good day)  
  
"Good riddance," Abby said under her breath.  
  
Legolas whirled around. "I heard that," he said coolly.  
  
"Abby..." Ali said warningly.  
  
"What? I didn't do anything," Abby said in a falsely innocent voice.  
  
"Liar," Legolas said.  
  
"I am NOT a liar. That would be you, pretty boy."  
  
Again, Legolas whipped out his bow and arrow and aimed it at Abby. Ali rolled her eyes.  
  
"Break it up, you two," she said, clearly exasperated. "Legolas, put that thing away before you hurt someone, since it will probably be me."  
  
"Yeah, since he can't hit me, even when I'm two feet away from him," Abby remarked.  
  
"Are you willing to stake your life on that?" Legolas asked angrily.  
  
"Stop the madness! We're going to be late for the council. Can't we all just get along?" Ali was ready to smack both elves. "I hate being in the middle," she muttered.  
  
"Then stop trying to play Switzerland," Abby said.  
  
"Yeah, be Portugal instead."  
  
All three elves spun around to see Lindi standing behind them.  
  
"Great idea there, Lindi. Hey, you still have your bow and arrows, right? Feel like shooting these two numbskulls?" Ali asked sarcastically. Lindi just laughed. "Honestly, don't I have enough to put up with without you two trying to kill each other? Let's just head to the council before I have a heart attack."  
  
With that, Ali walked off with Lindi (who was talking nonstop about Legolas and his fighting techniques), praying that Legolas and Abby wouldn't kill each other as soon as her back was turned.  
  
Abby turned her head back toward Legolas and sighed. His arrow was still right there in her face. If he didn't get out of her personal bubble soon, she might strangle him.  
  
"You want to put that little toy of yours away? How about we just progress on to the verbal insults, have a go at each others throats, and call it a day?"  
  
Legolas lowered his bow a fraction of a centimeter but said nothing.  
  
"Alright... since you don't want to be the one to start, I will. You are a puny, sluggish, idiotic, sorry excuse for an elf. Your Adar would be ashamed!"  
  
"Don't say anything about my Adar! You don't know anything about him!"  
  
"Ahhh...." Sighed Abby happily. "Struck a nerve did I? Well, let's see what other such nerves I can find... Let's see... I personally believe that Galadriel is ugly, as is Arwen, and that forests don't hold a candle up to the mines of the dwarves."  
  
Legolas was now turning a deep crimson color, a very distinct difference from his normally pale skin. His eloquence had left him as he stuttered, "How... how... d-dare you... you have insulted not only me, but also all of the things, places, and people I hold dear. If you were a PROPER elf, you would hold them dear, too..." Legolas seemed to lose his words in his anger. The arm that held his bow had fallen limply t his side. Apparently, this situation was too serious for physical threats.  
  
Slowly gaining his temper back, he continued, "I suggest that you leave. If you don't, I will not guarantee your safety."  
  
Abby suddenly realized what a big mistake she had made. It didn't matter that she believed Legolas was an arrogant, annoying idiot, he WAS an elf. He DID have feelings, and obviously passions, too.  
  
"I'll go," the words were out of her mouth before she even thought about them. She turned away and walked out of the room.  
* * * * *  
  
Lindi and Ali had reached the council. The group of beings assembled there ranged from men and elves to dwarves and a stray hobbit. Looking at this last one, Ali saw it was Bilbo Baggins. She wondered if he knew where Frodo was.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as Lindi said, "I wonder if Aragorn will be here... I mean, if Frodo never got in trouble and needed Strider's help..." she trailed off.  
  
"He'll be here," Ali said in a confident tone, though confident was definitely not how she felt. "He DOES know Arwen... he HAS to be here. If he isn't, it could ruin everything!"  
  
"Miss Optimistic, aren't we?" Lindi replied with a snort, but she had a worried look on her face. Just then, Legolas showed up.  
  
"Legolas! Are you all right?" asked Lindi, even more worried than she had been a moment before. Legolas' face showed signs of anguish.  
  
"Yeah! You look like an orc chewed you up and spit you out," Ali said. The look from Lindi clearly told her that her friend believed that Legolas could never look THAT bad. Ali turned back to the prince and asked, "Did you and Abby have another row?"  
  
"You could call it that," replied Legolas, his temper returned to normal. "I have decided that she is officially deranged. She says she would prefer the mines of the dwarves to our beautiful forests. That is just not natural. At least not for an elf," he added seeing the indignant looks from a couple of dwarves a few feet away.  
  
Ali and Lindi looked at each other— Ali with nonplussed acceptance and Lindi with utter rage.  
  
"Has she gone mad?! Why, I ought to strangle her!"  
  
"Lindi! Lindi!" Ali said very sharply. When she didn't get a response, she yelled, "MELINDA!" Lindi, snapping out of her vision of killing Abby, very, VERY slowly looked at ALI, "Mani?" (What) she asked innocently.  
  
"Oh don't you give me that! You are not allowed to kill Abby!"  
  
Legolas watched this conversation without much interest. By this point, he had figured out what role each friend from the strange trio played.  
  
Lindi was obviously the temperamental one. She had a passionate nature, which could lead to obsession. Ali was the calm, intellectual one. She was the brains behind the group. And Abby... Well, Abby was... She was the competitive, outspoken one. She DEFINITELY wasn't afraid to speak her mind.  
  
As he was thinking all of this, Ali ha managed to calm Lindi down, for which Legolas was glad.  
  
Elrond called the council to discuss the subject of The Ring. Legolas sighed... this could take a while.  
  
And so the council began.  
  
~We know you see that Little Review button. Come on... push it.... U can do it... Plz!!!~ 


	4. The council

A/N: Holy Crap! We have 3 reviews!*jumping up and down screaming* Anyway. I'm sorry we didn't update on Friday. We had a lot of crap to do for school so here are two chapters for your enjoyment to make it up to you. Keep Reviewing! And here is a note from Abby! hehe NOTE : I (Abby) am not that big of a fan of Legolas'. Can you tell? This story was/is originally written in a notebook. If words were messed up during the typing process, I am sorry. We're still working on the story now, but we have over a hundred pages more written. Hope you like us!  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Abby returned to the room she had found her clothing in. There, she equipped herself with a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a few knives. She also found parchment and wrote a note to her friends:  
  
Dear Ali and Lindi,  
As I am sure you already know, I have insulted Legolas most  
grievously. Seeing his reaction, I know I went too  
far. I am afraid that I have my pride and could not apologize to his  
face. Ali, please do that for me.  
After this confrontation with Legolas, I feel that I can no longer  
reside here in Rivendell. I am no elf and I offend those who are. I am  
going to do a bit of exploring, and perhaps we will meet in battle. I  
feel I won't leave Middle Earth until The Ring is destroyed, so do not  
fear I will be left behind.  
Farewell, until the battles for Middle Earth.  
-Abby  
  
PS Lindi, do not pester Legolas too much. That's MY job. Also, if you  
see me in battle, do not shoot me.  
PPS Ali, tell the elves that I appreciate their hospitality. And Ali,  
take care of yourself.  
  
Abby took this letter to the room she and her friends shared. After placing it on her bed, she left for the stables. Once she reached them, she surveyed the horses there. She soon realized she could not just up and take one of the horses. That would be stealing. So, she found the elf that took care of the horses. "Excuse me, sir, but I need a horse." The elf turned around and bowed. After surveying Abby's outfit he said, "For how long will you be needing it?" "I am not sure, but it will probably be a while. I need a horse that is sturdy." "We shall provide you with a mount," he said. He turned to a horse and prepared her for the long journey. Leading the mare from her stall, he told Abby, "She is obedient--- only a slight tug of her mane is needed for her to change direction." He released the mare to her, and she led the mare outside. After mounting up, she turned and looked back at Rivendell. The beautiful architecture made her want to return, but she had told Legolas she would leave. "Goodbye, place of my heart--- the heart of an elf." And with that, she rode her horse into the woods.  
* * * * * "This problem belongs to all races of Middle Earth," Elrond began the council with this deep thought. Lindi turned to Ali and whispered, "Here we go with the five day shoot. Shall we quote it or just listen?" "Shhhh... I have an idea," whispered Ali with an evil grin. As Elrond continued to babble on, Ali stood up and turned the five day shoot into a five minute speech. "Okay everyone. Now look, here's the deal." Everyone including Lindi, looked up at Ali in shock. Elrond sat down reluctantly. "Now we all know The Ring must be destroyed. No, Boromir, we can't use it against the enemy. So, because dwarves and elves can't agree with each other and a man will be consumed by it, I'll take it." "But," butted in Gimli, "you are an elf. I will be dead before I see The Ring in the hands of an elf!" "Well fine! Look at it this way: I was given to me, and I got it all the way here, so I might as well take it to Mount Doom. Now who's coming with me?" "Well, you know I'm going, so don't fight it," said Lindi. "I wouldn't dream of it," said Ali in a sarcastic tone. "Whether by life or death I can protect you, I will," came the voice of Aragorn. Lindi turned to Ali and whispered, "See! Told you he would be here!" Ali rolled her eyes. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done," interjected Boromir. "You have my bow," added Legolas. "And my ax," butted in Gimli. Just as Gandalf was about to speak, Merry and Pippin appeared. "Aye! We're coming too!" "Ms. Ali, isn't going anywhere without me," came Sam from behind the bushes. "Ten companions," said Elrond. "Wait!" screamed Ali. "Where's Abby?" "Who cares?" asked Lindi with a scowl. "Ow! What was that for?" she screeched as Ali hit her in the arm. "For not caring about your friend." "Hey, after what she did to Legolas? Why shouldn't I be ticked off?" "Excuse me. Is everything alright? May I continue?" "Yes, Lord Elrond. We are sorry." "Very well. You shall be the Fellowship of The Ring." "Right," said Pippin. "Where are we going?" "This is going to be a long journey," groaned Ali.  
* * * * * All of the members of the fellowship went back to their rooms to pack up. Lindi and Ali entered their room. They hadn't spoken a word since they had left the council. Lindi knew what Ali was thinking, and Ali knew what Lindi was thinking. Ali was worried about Abby. She had not showed up at the council, and she hadn't seen her in the halls. She looked over at the dresser and saw a piece of paper. She walked over, picked it up, and began to read. Lindi looked over her shoulder to see what was so interesting. Ali was reading a note that looked to be in Abby's handwriting. Just as she was about to read it, Ali slammed it back on the table. "What's wrong?" asked Lindi. "Abby always has to have the last word! She always has to argue and diss people, and it always ends up turning everything for the worst!" "What the hizzy are you talking about?" "Abby dissed Legolas and all elves! She didn't want to apologize, so now I have to. Plus, now she is gone." "Gone where?" there was a lack of concern in Lindi's voice. "Just gone. We may never see her again." "Oh, yeah right! You really don't think we'll see her again? What does your heart tell you?" "That we will se— Oh no you don't! We are not going to pull an Aragorn- Gandalf conversation!" Lindi laughed. "Yeah, but it was still funny how you followed along." "Yeah, yeah. But come on. We need to pack up to leave." "Ali? Why is it that even though this is like a dream come true, and I know what's going to happen, but I'm still not confident? Why?" "Because we have never actually experienced it before. We watched the movies and read the books, but we have never lived it. It's going to be rough going. But honestly, we'll make it." "Why?" "Because I got you, and you got me, and I have the book." "Awww... wait, what? You have the book?" "Yeah... I never let go of it. See, it's here, "Ali opened the dresser, and there was the book. "But Ali," shuddered Lindi, "this won't be like the book. I mean your acting like Frodo in the fellowship, but me and Abby are sort of like extras. We could change everything! Plus the fact that you're not a hobbit! That could really change everything!" "Yeah, but we will have a better idea of what is going to happen." "I'm still kind of worried." "Yeah. Well, me too. I have The Ring! But you have your little prince to protect us." They both laughed at this. Even still, a thought still lingered in their minds. Sooner or later, they knew the fellowship would break. They knew they would leave Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Ali wondered what Lindi would do: here she was in Middle Earth with the guy of her dreams. How could Ali ask her to come to Mordor? But that was a ways yet. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. Now they should try to enjoy themselves. After all, there was a lot of stuff to look forward to. There was Moria, Lothlorien, and the beautiful landscape. "Well, Ali," interrupted Lindi. "I think we should go to bed. It's 10:30, and we have to wake up early tomorrow." "Okay. I agree," Ali started getting ready for bed when a thought struck her. "Lindi?" "Yeah?" "How did you know it was 10:30?" "well I read my watch and it says... wait.... I have my watch! Coolio! Well there's another plus." "I don't know if it ill help, but, yeah, it's cool." They both settled down in their beds and tried to sleep, but it was impossible. They were on the eve of the best thing that could ever happen to them, and they had to sleep? What a joke. So they laid awake pondering the days to come. After a long while, sleep finally came to relieve them of their wondering. 


	5. The Attack

A/N: Here is the next chapter! Thank you soooooooooo much for the reviews and the thoughts. Its so cool how most people can relate to me (Lindi) and agree with me on Legolas. I am the one who wanted the romance and so I had to be sneaky and um..... add a few things *cough* Sadly the Romance part wont come till later but when it does it will be great! Anyway We thank you so much again for the reviews! We are trying to use some elvish when we can but it is hard at time. So ya Enjoy! Oh and read Abby's note.  
  
NOTE : I did not write anything in this section. I did not choose what happened to my character. My friend Lindi was just getting me back for what I said about Legolas— after she slapped me. Keep in mind that these characters, essentially, are us. We hope you enjoy!  
  
Chapter Five  
  
The next morning, Lindi awoke, or at least she thought she did. In fact she couldn't remember going to sleep, yet she felt rested. Ali was already up and ready.  
  
"Ali?"  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"I'm rested, but I don't think I slept... did I?"  
  
Ali laughed, "Think about it, smart one. Do elves sleep like men sleep?"  
  
"Oh yeah! I forgot. Well, cool!"  
  
"Yeah, but we need to be going out. Our farewell party is about to begin, and we don't want to miss it. Today is the day."  
  
"Yeah. The day we take 'our first and last great journey.'"  
  
"Well, that was a depressing statement."  
  
"I know. Hence why I said it. Well, let's go!"  
  
The two elves walked down the hall toward the main gate at Rivendell. On the way, they were nearly run over by two hobbits skipping down the hall, singing:  
  
"We're going on a quest, 'Cuz quests are the best. We drink to much ale, And we never fail 'cuz— We're going on a quest, a quest, a quest! Oh! We're going on a quest to— Mount Doom!" We're going to Mount Doom The ring is gonna go Boom!  
  
"Well isn't that a jolly good song?" said Lindi sarcastically.  
  
"Oh yes!" said Ali. "I'll be singing it all the way to Mount Doom!"  
  
They finally came to the main gate of Rivendell. There all of the races of Middle Earth, with the obvious exceptions of orcs and goblins, gathered to bid farewell to the company. For some it was a sad time, like Aragorn and Arwen, who had loved each other forever. Then for others like Lindi, Ali, and the hobbits, it was the most exciting moment of their lives. Ali was trying to keep Lindi from spazzing out and trying to remain calm herself. Elrond quieted everyone down, so he could make his final speech:  
  
"None of you are bound to go any further than you will. Good luck on your quest." As the fellowship turned and headed out the gate, Ali turned to Lindi and asked, "Is it right or left?"  
  
"You saw the movie! Think about it!"  
  
"I don't have time to think about it. Just tell me!"  
  
"Fine. Go left."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Positive?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You would stake your life on it?"  
  
"Yes! Okay?! Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes!"  
  
So off they went over fields and plains. The three elves would sleep part of the day as they traveled, and at night, while everyone else slept, they would practice sword fighting, led by Legolas, of course. The farther they traveled, the better Lindi and Ali got at sword fighting and the more Ali worried about Abby. Who knew where she was or what trouble she could be in.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Abby rode across the plains. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to get there. She had an uneasy feeling; she felt like she was being watched or followed. She dare not stop or even turn around for fear it would be the end of her, yet she knew she had to stop soon. The mare, named Roccara, was getting tired. Her body was soaked with perspiration. Finally, Abby found a secluded area with a small brook running through it. She dismounted Roccara and let her go to rest, drink, and eat.  
  
Abby herself felt hungry and thirsty. She took her quiver, but then she decided to leave it. She also put her sword down and went to look for food. While gathering her berries, she is taken back as Gollum snuck up behind her and started choking her. She tried to scream, but to no avail. She tried to get him off her, but he was very strong for a little guy. She tried to hit him up against a tree or a rock or something. She only ended up hurting herself more than him. Everything went dark.  
  
"This is it," thought Abby. "It's over."  
  
She blacked out.  
  
Gollum searched Abby fanatically, from top to bottom. No Precious. He went back to where her stuff was and tore through it like a mad beast. It wasn't there.  
  
"Where are you Precious?! We wants you! Come back to us!" Gollum screamed out and then disappeared back into the shadows.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The fellowship had been traveling for days over the open plains of Middle Earth Aragorn and Legolas led them, followed closely by Lindi and Ali. Who tried to catch every word of their conversations. The day grew dark. They needed to rest and find a way to refill their water supply.  
  
"Scout the land," said Aragorn. "Do not go off alone. If you find water, whistle. Okay, let's go. Merry, Pippin, and Sam, go with Boromir. Legolas, come with me. Gimli and Gandalf, go with Boromir and the hobbits. Lindi and Ali, come with me."  
  
Lindi was about to say something about this arrangement, when Ali shushed her. "The more people in a group, the safer it will be."  
  
And with that, the two groups set off to find water.  
  
"Ali?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do you hear water running?"  
  
"Yeah! It's coming from over there!"  
  
The two elven girls ran off towards the sound. Just as they had figured, there was a brook with fresh, clean, running water.  
  
"What's that?" asked Lindi.  
  
"What's what?"  
  
"That thing lying on the ground over there. Is that a person?"  
  
Ali looked to where Lindi was pointing. Sure enough, it looked like a body. The two elves ran over to see what it was. They both gasped in horror.  
  
"It's Abby!" cried Ali. She knelt down and tried to shake her awake. "Abby? Abby? Abby, wake up!"  
  
"Is she breathing?"  
  
"Barely, but... Oh! She feels cold!"  
  
"So what?'  
  
"Lindi! Remember your favorite saying?"  
  
"Which is... Oh yeah! Elves don't feel the cold!"  
  
"Yeah, so her being cold is a bad thing! Whistle for Aragorn!"  
  
Lindi sent out a high pitched whistle which set Aragorn running towards them with Legolas. They had only been a few hundred feet away.  
  
"Aragorn! Thank goodness you're here. Abby is badly hurt!"  
  
Aragorn knelt down to assess the damage. She had gashes on her arms and head where she had tried to get Gollum off. Her neck was a deep crimson color.  
  
Legolas stood and watched. He was usually willing to step in and help, especially for one of his own kin... But this was the girl who had dishonored his Adar and the Lady of Light. She had dishonored and insulted her own kind. The anger seemed to rise up in him once again. He acted calm, as not to make matters worse.  
  
"Legolas! You and Lindi go back to camp and get herbs and bandages. Then return here promptly." Without a second beckoning, they ran off to complete the task appointed to them.  
  
Ali was more than a little uneasy as she helped Aragorn wash her friend's wounds. This wasn't an attack by orcs. There were no weapons around, and from the looks of Abby's neck and arms, she had been caught by surprise.  
  
Before she could think anymore on the subject, Lindi and Legolas returned. Although greatly concerned for Abby, Ali pulled Lindi off to the side:  
  
"Lindi," Ali whispered, "I think Gollum was here."  
  
Lindi looked worried. "Why do you think that?"  
  
"Who else would have attacked Abby? Her stuff is scattered all over the place... Lindi, you know what he was looking for."  
  
Lindi nodded. After watching the movies approximately five thousand times each, Ali didn't have to spell this out for her.  
  
Aragorn ran off to get more bandages and to tell the rest of the fellowship to pack up their supplies. They would be moving away from this area as fast as they could.  
  
"Legolas, put a blanket over her! We need to keep her warm!" he yelled over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods.  
  
"Her anger should be enough to keep her warm," he muttered under his breath, as he remembered the things Abby had said. He had not counted on being heard.  
  
'What was that?" Ali asked, anger trembling in her voice. Her eyes were blazing with rage.  
  
"Nothing," Legolas said calmly. He was soon not so calm as Ali suddenly drew her sword and held it to his chest.  
  
"I think that you forget that I am an elf and that I can hear just as well as you can," Ali said. "I know Abby said a bunch of stuff that was wrong, but she did leave a note that apologized for it. Now she's badly injured, and, like it or not, you are going to help her. She IS still an elf. Now get over it!"  
  
By this time, both Lindi and Legolas were in a state of shock. Lindi had never seen Ali so angry before, and she had never threatened a person at sword point before, either.  
  
As Ali sheathed her sword, Abby groaned. "What happened?" she asked, trying to sit up.  
  
"After you're feeling better, YOU can tell US," Lindi said.  
  
"Yeah. By the way," Ali said, "how are you feeling? You are now going to have everyone ask you that incessantly until someone else gets injured. You know that, right?"  
  
"Shut up, Ali," Abby muttered.  
  
"Phew! She's going to be fine, "Ali said thankfully.  
  
*Thanks to our good Friend Tiffer for writing a small potion of this while we were at lunch. He was the one who gave us the Gollum I dea and wrote her attack.* 


	6. A Long Night

A/N: 7 reviews! Heck ya! Party on! Now writing this fan fic is becoming more fun and more worth while! I just want to take a second and thank my reviews and even respond to some. We cant promise we will always do this but... we figured it would be fun. Enjoy the next chapter! Rambling Thestral: First thank you sooooooooo much for your reviews and ideas. We are now accepting anonymous reviewers so hopefully we shall get more reviews. We are sorry about Frodo. ( We think he is a great character though. We're glad your still are reading our fan fic and reviewing. If we could we would bake you cookies! Oh and Tiffer really is the type of person who would strangle Abby. lol He still has a sense of humor though. Wynngurl: We're glad you like our sense of style... we sure do. lol And as mean as Tiffer might seem he's not that bad... most of the time. Thanks for the Review!  
  
Ms. Evermore: We will be writing a heck of a lot more! We got a whole notebook and part of another one finished.  
  
Abby note: If you have not noticed, we are portraying the hobbits as hyperactive children. This seemed to work best with this plot line, but, for those of you who are in love with Merry and Pippin, know that we are going to make them a bit more serious... just not yet.  
  
Chapter Six  
  
That night, Ali and Lindi were sitting on the outskirts of camp keeping watch. "Okay. What's wrong, Ali?" Lindi asked her unusually quiet friend.  
  
"Hmm?" Ali asked, feigning innocence. "Nothing is wrong."  
  
"Ali..." Lindi said accusingly.  
  
Ali sighed. Lindi was going to weed it out of her sooner or later. She might as well save her the trouble. "This is all my fault," she said vaguely.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Lindi asked, utterly confused.  
  
"Abby getting attacked. Gollum only attacked her because he knew one of us had The Ring. Anyone who is trying to help me could get attacked like this... or worse."  
  
Lindi rolled her eyes, "You worry too much, you know that? Abby went off by herself. That is Abby's fault, so—"  
  
"Then I should have gone after her!" Ali cut in. "Or at least sent someone after her. But no— I was too busy enjoying Middle Earth!" Ali said in disgust.  
  
"Ali. Chill," Lindi said. "You are getting way too worked up about this. No one sent anyone after Abby. That wasn't your fault. I didn't think either."  
  
"That doesn't matter. I'm the 'responsible' one, remember? If I'm not smart enough to realize that I should send someone after a missing person, how the heck am I supposed to get the stupid Ring to Mordor?!" Ali was really upset now. Lindi had no clue what to say. "Exactly!" Ali said in response to her friend's silence. "You don't know either."  
  
Finally, Lindi thought of something. Grinning, she said (in a serious voice), "This task was appointed to you. If you do not find a way, nobody will."  
  
"Great. I guess 'Nobody' will have to find a way then," Ali said sarcastically.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Optimistic," Lindi said, responding with her own sarcasm.  
  
Ali rolled her eyes, but she felt a little bit better. "I think I'm gonna go check on Abby," she said, standing up.  
  
"Okay. I'll just keep watch here... all alone... by myself..." Lindi moaned in a piteous voice. "OW!" she soon said as Ali whacked her on the head before walking back to camp.  
  
As she made her way down the hill, Ali heard a twig snap. Her head whipped around in the direction of the sound. "Legolas!" she said in surprise. "Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack? Between everyone, there is NO WAY I am going to live forever," she muttered. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.  
  
"I was going to check on you and Lindi, but you two are so loud, I didn't have to," he said.  
  
"Great," Ali said. "Let me guess: We were so loud that every orc in Middle Earth will be able to pinpoint our exact location, right?"  
  
"No. You only sounded as loud as you did because I am an elf. YOU should know that," Legolas said, a bit of resentment in his voice.  
  
"Legolas, I'm sorry about earlier, okay? Are you going to hold this against me for the rest of forever?" Ali said angrily. Sighing, she shook her head. "I am sorry. I was just worried about Abby, especially since—"  
  
"You thought it was your fault?" Legolas asked, cutting Ali off.  
  
"Well, as you apparently heard our ENTIRE conversation, I guess I don't have to explain anything anymore," Ali said. "But I do have a question: What exactly DID abby say that made you so mad?"  
  
Legolas explained while attempting to remain calm. When he was finished, Ali groaned.  
  
"Abby, Abby, Abby," she said in despair. "As my friend isn't feeling well, I will have to apologize for her," Ali told Legolas. "Then again, I usually have to apologize for her anyways," she said sarcastically. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on my friend. Maybe I can talk some sense into her." With that, Ali walked off.  
  
As she left, Legolas walked up the hill to talk to Lindi.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ali entered the small tent where Abby was resting. 'How are you feeling?" she asked, sounding concerned.  
  
"Well, a lot better than I was before," Abby replied.  
  
"Good!" Ali yelled, smacking her friend on the forehead.  
  
"OW! What was that for?" Abby asked angrily.  
  
"I'm trying to knock some sense into you!" Ali said. "What the heck were you thinking going off on your own like that?!"  
  
"Did you get my note?" Abby asked.  
  
"Yes. That's the problem. You just decided to run off because you were too proud to apologize? Abby, that's absurd! If you insult someone, YOU have to apologize. You caused the problem, you have to try and make it better. If you keep running away from things, people are going to think you're a coward."  
  
"I am NOT a coward," Abby yelled.  
  
"Then don't act like one, Abby!" Ali yelled back. Abby scowled. "Come on, Abby," Ali said, calming down some. "All I'm asking is for you to not keep running off. And to be careful about what you say."  
  
"Oh? THAT'S all," Abby said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, I'm sure I can think of some other things, too, if you want me to..." Ali said mischievously.  
  
"No. That's okay," Abby said quickly.  
  
"Okay... if you're sure..."  
  
"Yes! I really am!"  
  
"Okay. Get some rest... Wait, I take that back. Abby, what happened? How did you get injured?"  
  
"One word," Abby said. "Gollum."  
  
"That's what I thought," Ali said, looking worried as she stared off into space.  
  
"What?" Abby asked.  
  
"This is not good..." Ali said. "This is very different from to books... or the movies, for that matter. Do you think this is gonna mess up our chances of getting to Mordor?"  
  
Abby thought for a while. "I don't know."  
  
Ali thought hard for a few more minutes. "I don't think it will. We'll just have to worry about Gollum longer," Ali laughed. "Maybe if we mimic him it will annoy him, and he'll leave."  
  
"Yes, Precious," Abby said, trying to imitate Gollum and failing miserably.  
  
"If that doesn't scare him away, nothing will," Ali muttered under her breath.  
  
"What?!" Abby asked.  
  
"Nothing," Ali replied, feigning innocence.  
  
"Oh, I should punch you for that!" Abby threatened.  
  
"I'd like to see you try!" Ali said, laughing, As Abby struggled to get up, Ali rolled her eyes. "You are going to hurt yourself trying to hurt me, so why don't you just rest, and you can attack me after you are feeling better? That way, I won't feel guilty when I beat you!" With that, Ali left the tent.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Legolas found Lindi sitting at the top of the hill, humming a song (if Ali or Abby had been there, they would have immediately recognized it as the song on the LOTR soundtrack where 'Pippin' sings).  
  
"That's an interesting song. I've never heard it before. Where did it come from?" Legolas was surprised to hear a new song, for he had traveled far and had heard many songs.  
  
"It is from the shire, the home of the halflings."  
  
"have you been there?"  
  
"No. And I suspect I never will."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm afraid this quest will be my last in Middle Earth." Lindi looked over at him, and the elf looked right back at her. His deep eyes were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but, then again, she was biased.  
  
The moment was ruined as Merry and Pippin came skipping up the hill, singing a new verse of their song at the top of their lungs:  
  
"We're going to Mount Doom! The Ring will go BOOM! We're going to Mount Doom— To destroy— The One Ring that rules—"  
  
Lindi quickly interrupted them. "Are you nuts?! You're just asking for a Nazgûl, or worse—"  
  
Her voice was suddenly cut off as a screaming creature went scrabbling up her back and choked her. Gollum had apparently followed them.  
  
Lindi was just thinking that she'd kill Legolas if he let her die when she snapped to her senses. Not only would she NEVER kill Legolas, she wouldn't die either! This resolve was strengthened by Gollum. He had just pulled a chunk of her hair out of her scalp. She reached back and whacked him over the head as hard as she could. Unfortunately, it wasn't his head she had hit...  
  
* * * * *  
  
Legolas had seen Gollum come up on Lindi just milliseconds before he had Lindi by the hair. He grabbed Gollum and almost had him off Lindi when he was whacked over the head. Gollum finally came off as Legolas moved quickly away from Lindi before he received another unwanted blow. He could barely hold on to the piece of grime in his grip.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.  
  
"We only wants what bes ours!" he squealed.  
  
"There is nothing here of yours, Gollum," Lindi practically spat at him, rubbing her neck and the spot on her head from which some of her hair had been torn.  
  
"The yous will be lettings us go!" Gollum begged.  
  
"Do you really think we'll let..." Lindi stopped and thought for a moment. She knew it was a little early, but... if it was a matter of safety... "We will let you go..."  
  
"WHAT?!" Legolas yelled. "You're going to let him go?!"  
  
Lindi continued, for once ignoring Legolas, "...if, and ONLY if, you swear by the Precious you will not attack us again!"  
  
"Wes promise!" Gollum squealed. "Wes promise by the Precious."  
  
Lindi motioned for Legolas to let him go, and he scampered back off into the woods.  
  
Legolas was staring at Lindi in a very unelf like manner. "What did you do that for?" he asked very slowly, as if speaking to someone with less than their share of brains.  
  
"Oh, come off it!" Lindi said indignantly. "It was just something that had to happen. Maybe you'll understand later... if we live until then."  
  
"You make no sense Creirwy..."  
  
"What does that mean? It isn't elvish..."  
  
"I learned from the trees in Fangorn Forest."  
  
"But what d—"  
  
"We're going to Mount Doom! The Ring will go—"  
  
"Will you shut up?!" ordered Lindi, frustrated. She'd forgotten the annoying little hobbits were even there. She turned to ask Legolas again, but he had already disappeared down the hill.  
  
*So Frustrating! Lindi just wanted to talk to him.. but we love hobbits! The song is an original one that we made up after hours and hours of heartfelt thinking... lol* 


	7. Apologize

A/N: Nine Reviews! That's great. However we KNOW you can do better then that. SO come on R&R. The past few Chapters haven't had disclaimers. We would think by now you all would know that we don't own anything. However we really don't want to be sued for this fan fiction so we will add a disclaimer. Enjoy the chapter! We love writing this fan fiction! Some have you have been asking about Lindi and Legolas. Well you never know what can happen between here and the end of the fan fic. Remember Lindi isn't the only she-elf in this fan fiction. Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places etc.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Abby NOTE : Warning! This chapter is one of Ali's favorites! I wrote this section, and I actually think it's pretty good. That, of course doesn't mean anything, but... Why don't you give us input? Please give us notes on which chapters you like and what you think we could improve on. Thanks! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Abby lay awake in her tent. This was not a very good day for her. First, she had gotten strangled by Gollum. Then she had to accept minor help from Legolas (he had half carried her into her tent after Ali had yelled at him). And now she had to deal with Ali herself, a fate worse than death.  
  
Abby kept thinking about Ali's words. It seemed that her friend's transformation to an elf had helped her come up with a new and elegant way in which to push her buttons. It just wasn't fair! Abby was still stuck with the same abilities she'd had as a human. Even Lindi was better at swordplay. Abby couldn't even hear as well as the youngest elf.  
  
She was beginning to feel depressed as she began to think about her role in this story. Ali's was obvious: she had The Ring. Lindi would most likely join Legolas, so where did that leave Abby? Ali's protector was already taken by Sam. The troupe already had their comedians with Merry and Pippin. Gimli was going to be Legolas' best friend if Lindi didn't interfere, but Abby didn't really want that position. She didn't want to replace Boromir as the betrayer, either. And she certainly couldn't be the king.  
  
"I figure I'll be the girl who takes care of the horses," she thought, but then she remembered that Sam had already managed to take over that job.  
  
Thinking of horses, she remembered her own mare, the one from Rivendell. What evil had befallen her? Abby had a duty to Roccara.  
  
It had been a few hours since Ali had left her to her thoughts. It would be well past sunset, and it was doubtful that anyone would check on her. So, she slipped out of the tent. She moved towards the woods, searching them carefully for her mare. She'd reached the edge of them when a voice startled her:  
  
"Not running away from us are you?" asked the voice as Aragorn materialized out of the darkness. "You know you are not well enough to attempt it."  
  
"What does it matter to you? I'm just a hindrance, anyway!" Abby said.  
  
"You are in my care, and your friends, or at least the dark-haired one, would skin me alive if I let you leave."  
  
Abby ducked her head. "Sorry. I'm just not in a good mood," she looked at him sharply. "I suppose you know all about why? I mean, you and Legolas are supposed to be best friends, right?"  
  
"Yes. We are. He was deeply hurt by what you said, though he refused to tell me what it was that upset him so. I did not press him further."  
  
"I know why he didn't tell you... I insulted not only him, but his family, the Lady of Light, the forests, and... well, your bride." Abby looked at him, expecting to see a look of horror from him, but he showed no emotion on his face. She rushed to explain herself, "I thought he was arrogant, and I used everything I could think of to annoy him. I basically insulted all elves and everything they love. I don't feel like an elf, and I don't act like one. He noticed this in everything I said."  
  
Abby saw an understanding look on her companion's face and continued, "I don't have any elvish abilities, and I am feeling useless. I've thought about everything, and I can't add anything to the fellowship. There's no way I can protect Ali when I can't even protect my horse from Gollum!"  
  
Aragorn spoke for the first time through Abby's ramblings, "Your horse is fine.." he actually chuckled a little. "She is fine, and she apparently misses you. Do not worry so."  
  
Abby sighed with relief. So she hadn't totally failed Roccara!  
  
"And Abby, you're not useless. I am sure you will see that for yourself once you have cleared your conscience. I would suggest you speak with Legolas. Apologize. You'll feel better once you do."  
  
After a brief thought that Aragorn would be a great shrink in her own world, she asked, "What am I good at?"  
  
"You shall see in time, impatient one. For now, speak to Legolas—"  
  
"Did I hear my name?" Legolas emerged from the woods.  
  
"You would know better than I," Aragorn's smile faded as he saw the look on Legolas' face.  
  
"We had a visitor on the hill. He attacked Lindi. She'll be fine," he added, "but the culprit got away. I've been trying to track him."  
  
"Gollum."  
  
Legolas turned. He had known Aragorn was speaking with someone, but he had been in such a rush that he had not bothered to listen to who it was. He looked a little repulsed at the name Abby had mentioned (and maybe a little at her presence, too), but he nodded.  
  
"I will go see to her," Aragorn said as he swept back to camp.  
  
Abby looked at Legolas and was about to open her mouth her mouth when he said:  
  
"Don't bother. I already know that you will insult my mother next. I consider myself insulted." He began to walk off.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" abby reached out and stopped him. "You are not going to blame me for a lame insult like that and then just walk off! I want to stand full trial for what I said before!"  
  
Legolas raised his eyebrows at her. Of all the encounters with Abby he could imagine, this was definitely not one of them!  
  
"I mean it! I said some terrible things! They weren't fair to you or anyone else. And... and..." she stopped for a moment. Very quietly, she managed to get out the next words: "I'm sorry."  
  
* * * * *  
  
As soon as Ali came into her tent, Lindi stopped her. "I don't want to hear one word how "It's your fault." If I hear it, I swear I will kill you!"  
  
"But, it WAS—"  
  
"Dina! (stop!)" Lindi was thoroughly exasperated. "It is NOT your fault! It is that idiot Ring's fault! For heaven's sake!"  
  
Ali sat down and looked at Lindi. She didn't look that terrible. She had a few scratches, but they weren't too deep.  
  
"I'm fine," Lindi insisted. "Except for the fact that Legolas has disappeared. I'm bored now." She sighed.  
  
Ali chuckled. "If THAT'S what I'm going to have to listen to, then I'm out of here."  
  
And with that, Ali left the tent.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Legolas had just had the strangest experience in all of his years. An elf he had sworn as his enemy had just APOLOGIZED to him. He stood there, slightly dumbfounded.  
  
Abby, a little worried after a full minute with no response from the elf across from her, said, "Are you alright? I'm sorry if I surprised you."  
  
And there she did it again! She told him that she was sorry! Legolas, again, couldn't think of an adequate response, but he managed to come up with, "Alright."  
  
Abby was relieved. So he HADN'T had a stroke or something. "maybe we can declare a truce?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Abby's worry returned a little. "Let's go back to camp."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Abby stopped and looked at him. Elves did not give the same one-word response three times in a row! "Your hair is messed up," she tried.  
  
This did not get a one-word response. Apparently, Legolas' anger had returned with her statement. "What so you care?! I thought you wanted a truce! That means you should not begin insulting me again right off the bat!" He saw her smile. "Mani? You think it's funny?"(what?)  
  
"You'll be fine. I was almost worried about you for a minute there— Almost." She laughed as she saw him realize the contrast between 'Alright' and his last tirade.  
  
Legolas laughed a little, too. They walked off towards the camp. "I like your outfit, by the way," he commented.  
  
Abby looked at him wit innocent eyes. "Yeah...I've been meaning to thank you for it, and the bow and quiver, too. I needed some gear and happened to find some in your room back at Rivendell."  
  
He looked at her sharply and she grinned sheepishly back at him. He thought about it and said, "Lle creoso." (your welcome)  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ali began to question whether or not elves slept when she was obviously in a dream. She had just left Lindi's tent and had almost reached her own when she saw two figures appear from the edge of the forest. The only way this could be happening was if it was a dream! Abby and Legolas were within a hundred feet of each other, and they weren't trying to kill each other!  
  
Ali thought about it, and, if this wasn't a dream, Abby must have tried to run away again! This was not good! She started to run towards them, but she stopped suddenly— They were laughing!  
  
Once Legolas and Abby reached her and saw her face, they stopped.  
  
"What's wrong, Ali? Did something happen?" Abby asked a little worriedly.  
  
"You mean other than you being I the woods when you should be resting? What were you doing? I thought we talked about this!" Ali looked over at Legolas, "And I'm sure you were probably just trying to help. I bet you aided her in packing her stuff and were just coming back to get her horse. You wouldn't care if she just up and left! And her in that condition—"  
  
"I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WRONG WITH ME!" interrupted Abby. "And, golly Ali, you just don't trust me. I was NOT running off. I was just looking for my horse."  
  
"Right..." Ali said sarcastically. "You couldn't have just asked me?"  
  
"You would have scolded me for not being in bed before I could get a word out!"  
  
"So, assuming you're telling the truth, why aren't you and Legolas trying to kill each other?" Ali inquired.  
  
"She's too weak to attempt anything, and I'd feel bad beating her to a pulp when she'd so sickly," Legolas said, grinning, followed promptly by a punch to the arm from Abby.  
  
"That was NOT very nice!" Turning to Ali, she explained, "I am not a coward, and I never will be. I resented that comment. You totally missed the reason I left! I just didn't want to put Legolas through any more pain. OY! Anyway, I proved hat I am not a coward!"  
  
"Really?" Ali was surprised. This was definitely not an expected event... Abby admitting she was wrong, that is. "You mean... you apologized?"  
  
"Don't sound so surprised," replied Abby, happy she could still startle her friend occasionally.  
  
"Well, apology or no, you need to go to bed," Ali said.  
  
Abby groaned and gave a pleading look to Legolas, "Save me!"  
  
"Oh... you know, I don't think so." Legolas smiled a little. "It'll be good for you."  
  
Abby groaned again as she went into the tent. Ali turned around to look at Legolas one more time.  
  
"She REALLY apologized?" She shook her head in wonderment.  
  
"Yes, she did. By the way, I'd ease up on her a bit. It isn't as if she was attacked by a Nazgûl or anything," he said slyly.  
  
"Oh, be quiet!" Ali said as she slipped into her own tent.  
  
And so, one of the first days as a fellowship had ended.  
  
*So what do you think now? Who do you think should get together? Oh and by the way Tiffer says hi to all his "adoring" fans out there* 


	8. Taking a Fall

Lindi Note: Well I figure I should have my own note cuz Abby gets her own note. Sure hers is a bit more on the serious side but I'm not the serious type. Well actually I write all the depressing parts... well sorta. Right now I have the award for writing the most depressing/gross/disturbing scene. However that won't come for some time now. I love romance stuff too. Then again I'm a freakin teenage girl so that sorta stuff is my cup of tea if u will. Well about the whole Legolas romance thing. Now we really haven't gotten enough reviews to determine what we are gonna do. So R&R and we shall see how the story line goes.  
  
Abby note : "Actions speak louder than words." Before this chapter, all of the horrible acts of the Dark Lord and his minions are only spoken of, never directly confronted. In this chapter, it becomes clearer how horrible these beings are. Think upon the dangers you face every day. You may not be climbing a mountain or facing a frozen death, but you may still encounter hardships such as: family problems, mental abuse, or even drug. Think of how you can fight against these obstacles in your life.  
  
Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places etc.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
The next morning, Aragorn woke up with a shudder. The dream of his beloved Arwen falling into death at the hand of the Dark Lord made his desire to travel at great speed all the more demanding. He left his tent in search of Legolas. The sun had not yet reached the top of the hills, so the darkness still lingered over the earth. He decided to walk toward the brook to refresh himself, and, on the way, he would look for the elf prince. He was not two feet into the forest when he saw the elf crouching in a tree.  
  
Aragorn decided not to interrupt the elf's concentration, so he continued on to the brook, hoping that by the time he came back Legolas would be willing to share with him what he had seen. As he drew near to the creek, he heard voices coming from the brush nearby. He slowly crept up and listened.  
  
"I have no part in the fellowship! Why can't you see that?"  
  
"You DO have a part. We all have a part."  
  
"Yours is easy to distinguish because you have The Ring. Lindi is easy to figure out because she has her boyfriend for company. Where, may I ask, do I fit in to the mix?"  
  
Aragorn began to realize that the two voices came from the two elf maidens. Had he not tried to explain this to Abby? Then again, elves were very stubborn.  
  
"Look Ali, I just don't know. I mean, how are we ever gonna go home?"  
  
"Do you want to go home?"  
  
"Aw, I read the books, I know the ending. So..."  
  
"The ending is not yet certain. Remember, we are elves, not hobbits. The ending will be different in a few ways, but we must face them head on!"  
  
"Yeah... I guess you're right. Come on. We had best get back to camp before we are missed."  
  
Aragorn had been listening so carefully that he almost forgot he was eavesdropping. He quickly dashed over to the stream to get a drink of water just as the two elves emerged.  
  
"Lord Aragorn," Ali said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Just getting washed up a bit and quenching my thirst."  
  
Ali could believe the second part, but the first part sounded a little shaky— Aragorn never washed.  
  
After they had each had a drink, the three companions headed back to camp to ready everything for the upcoming journey.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Legolas sat in silence, looking into the distance. He knew something was coming, but he could not tell what or when it would take them. He climbed down from the tree in which he was sitting and ran back to camp with full speed. On the way, he ran into Aragorn, Ali, and Abby.  
  
"Mellon!" said Aragorn. "I was hoping to run into you!"  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"I saw you looking out over the plains. What is it that you see?"  
  
"I was not looking. I was listening. The trees sing a song of pain and the plains cry out 'Danger!' I fear if we do not move out soon, we will be overtaken. We must move out now."  
  
"I agree. Let's pack up and move out. Hurry."  
  
The four companions ran back to the camp. When they arrived, the hobbits, Gimli, and Lindi were sitting around the fire. As they got closer, they could smell the aroma of eggs, toast, and nice, crispy bacon. Lindi looked up from the fire just as Aragorn, Legolas, Abby, and Ali walked up.  
  
"Where have you all been?" she asked.  
  
"Well, me and Abby went to get some water and to wash up. I think Aragorn went to get a drink, as well, and Legolas thinks we are all doomed."  
  
Just as Legolas opened his mouth to object, Sam cutted in:  
  
"Well, you can't begin the day off with an empty stomach. Come now! I've been cookin all morning, and I do not want it to go to waste."  
  
"Don't be worrying about that, Sam," said Pippin with a smirk, "me and Merry will finish whatever's not eaten. We can suffer through it."  
  
Everyone laughed at this. Hobbits were known for their love of food, and Merry and Pippin were definitely no exception. The fellowship ate in silence. The food tasted great, but the journey ahead seemed to be so long. Finally, Aragorn stood up:  
  
"Well, we must pack up quickly and move out. We must reach the passage south in less than four days. Boromir, help the hobbits with their tents. You three can pack up your own tents. If you have trouble, ask Legolas for help. I will cover our tracks and put out the fire. We leave in one hour."  
  
The girls didn't really have a hard time getting their stuff together. By Aragorn's one hour marking, they were making their way across the plains once more.  
  
On the second day, they stopped by a small cliffside and sat to have lunch. Boromir and the hobbits practiced sparing while Gimli and Aragorn watched with smirks on their faces. Abby was slowly getting her strength back, and the stronger she became, the more she wanted to practice sparing. Ali was always sitting around thinking about The Ring, reading the book, or half- heartedly practicing with her Aragorn, Lindi, or Abby. Abby and Lindi still spared, even against Ali's wishes.  
  
Lindi had discovered she had great speed and agility, and she found ways to use them to her advantage. Abby, however, was not as experienced, but she still proved a challenge. The two elves seemed to be at each others throats constantly. There were a few times Ali had demanded the stop for fear they would kill each other.  
  
Legolas was always on his guard, searching for anything that could threaten their quest. Boromir continued his sword fighting with the hobbits until he saw a peculiar thing.  
  
"What is that?" he asked aloud.  
  
"Nothing. Tis just a whiff of cloud," protested Gimli.  
  
"It's moving fast— against the wind."  
  
Just as these words exited his mouth, Legolas rushed over yelling out a warning.  
  
"Hide!" cried Gandalf.  
  
The fellowship went and hid under rocks. It passed over them, made a U- turn, and headed back in the direction it had come from. Once the coast was clear, the fellowship came out of hiding.  
  
"Spies of Saurman," Gandalf nearly spat the words out, "The passage south is being watched; we must take the pass of Caradras."  
  
"I remember this part," whispered Lindi. "It's a good thing we don't feel the cold."  
  
The three she-elves laughed and went to catch up.  
  
The climb up the mountain was long and treacherous for most of the fellowship. Lindi, Ali, Abby, and Legolas felt not the cold, nor did they sink into the deep snow. However, the hike itself was less than pleasant. When they were about to the pass, Lindi nudged Ali and whispered:  
  
"Isn't this the part where you fall down the hill and The Ring comes off, and Boromir picks it up and wants to keep it?"  
  
"Yeah, but that won't work for two reasons: First I can't sink into the snow and fall because I am an elf. Second, do you really think I'm actually gonna fall do— Whoho...!" Ali hadn't noticed Abby sticking her foot out to trip her. She rolled down the hill a little ways before stopping herself. "Abby!" she yelled up the hill.  
  
"Are you alright?" asked Aragorn worriedly.  
  
"Fine, just fine," said Ali through clenched teeth. She reached down to make sure she still had The Ring, and it was gone. Before anyone could say anything, Ali walked down to Boromir, took The Ring from his hand, and stomped back up the hill.  
  
Meanwhile, Abby and Lindi were busting a gut from laughing so hard. When Ali reached them, she whacked them both over the head.  
  
"Ouch! What was that for?" asked Abby innocently while still trying to breathe again.  
  
"You know what."  
  
And that was all that was said until they reached the top of the mountain. A blizzard blew in and caused a great panic among the fellowship.  
  
"Listen," said Aragorn. All four elves listened. "There is a foul voice on the air."  
  
"It's Saurman!" yelled out Gandalf just as a thick layer of ice and snow fell from the mountain, burying them. Moments later, hobbit heads popped out of the snow, and then the elves, and finally Gandalf, Gimli, Aragorn, and Boromir appeared.  
  
"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!" yelled Boromir over the storm.  
  
"Gandalf! Instead of going over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the mines of Moria!" said Gimli.  
  
Gandalf thought for a moment, then said aloud, "Let the Ring Bearer decide. Ali?" Ali thought for a moment, and then asked if she could discuss it with her friends. The three girls climbed out of the snow and walked a short distance away from the "head garden".  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Ali.  
  
"Go through the mines, smart one," replied Lindi. "Duh!"  
  
"But Gandalf dies!' Abby reminded them.  
  
"And that's a problem," said Ali sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Let's go through the mines."  
  
"Yeah.. And besides," said Abby, "we all want to see the inside of Moria."  
  
They walked back to where the men, hobbits, dwarf, elf, and wizard waited.  
  
"We will go through the mines," said Ali.  
  
"So be it," sighed Gandalf.  
  
With that, the fellowship headed down the mountain toward Moria. 


	9. Moria

Lindi Note: Well I'll tell you right now I wrote this whole chapter by myself. *bows* Thank you thank you. Now for the bad news. Until we start getting more reviews we will only be updating once a week. Yes I know..*dodges tomatoes* I'm sorry but I wasn't my fault. It was all of us who agreed to this. So I hope you all had a great break! (if you got one) cuz I sure did! Now just another FYI.... Because I wrote this chapter I kinda have a few *moments* if you will. So if you like romance then you can read into them what ever you want. If you don't like romance then.... Well I'm sorry. Just deal with it. Trust me this isn't that bad. lol So enjoy!  
  
Abby NOTE : This chapter will introduce some of the first serious themes of the original books and movies. It will show humanity and the difference between good and evil. See if you can recognize your own personal orcs and goblins that attack you in your life. Do you struggle with the temptation to lie or commit other such sins? Remember this chapter and the way Abby and Lindi feel when they encounter the evils of the world: wretched.  
  
Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places etc.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien.  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
Two days later they reached the wall of Moria. Gimli was so excited he could barely walk, and the three girls were just as bad. Legolas couldn't understand why; they wanted to go where the sun didn't shine, where the trees didn't grow, and where the grass was no more than a thought. He had heard of the dwarves. He had heard of what they did. They would dig and dig and dig. They destroyed their mother and took from her. The thought of it angered him, but show it he would not.  
  
They finally reached the east entrance of Moria. When they reached the door, the moon came out and shone on the door. Everyone stood in awe of its silver beauty.  
  
"What does it say?" asked Sam. Just as Gandalf was about to answer, Lindi butted in.  
  
"The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. I, Narvi, made them."  
  
"But what does it mean?" asked Pippin.  
  
"Simple," said Gandalf. "If you are a friend, then speak..."  
  
"Allow me," said Lindi, butting in again. She walked up to the doors, closed her eyes, spread her arms, and spoke, "Mellon!" The doors slowly creaked open. Lindi stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. Everyone slowly followed in. Lindi ducked just as a hand swept over her head. "What? I just helped!" said Lindi innocently.  
  
"If you had been any more dramatic, you would think you were a wizard!"  
  
Pippin hung back, throwing stones into the water and watching the rings that were formed.  
  
"Soon, master elf, you shall enjoy the hospitality of the dwarves: roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone!"  
  
"This is no cave; it's a tomb," said Boramir.  
  
Everyone looked down and saw dead dwarfish skeletons lying scattered on the floor. Ali had seen this in the movie, but this was real and it was very disturbing.  
  
Ali walked back outside in disgust at what she had seen. She found Pippin throwing rocks into the water. She ran to stop him, but she tripped clumsily and fell into the water. When Ali fell, a great beast emerged and grabbed her. She began to shriek in horror, and Pippin ran into the mines to save his own life.  
  
Abby and Lindi heard the screaming and when it suddenly stopped, they started sprinting towards the exit of the tunnel. Legolas and Aragorn followed close behind, knowing Ali was in danger.  
  
"Ali!" screamed Abby. She saw Ali wrapped in the monster's tentacles quickly approaching its mouth. Without warning, an arrow shot past her and hit the beast in the head. Aragorn and Boromir ran into the water and began cutting off the tentacles. With success, Aragorn cut the one that held Ali, and she fell lifelessly to the ground. Boromir scooped her up and ran back toward the mines with Legolas fending the beast off with his arrows.  
  
"Legolas!" screamed Lindi. "COME BACK TO THE CAVE NOW!!!" Legolas ran back inside the cave. When the beast stopped feeling the pelting of arrows, it tried to follow them into the cave. Its enormous figure could not fit into the entrance, and the extreme pressure caused the rock to collapse above the doorway. Aragorn dove to cover Ali as Boromir covered the hobbits and Abby. The ground shook violently for a few moments and then a deathly silence fell over them. Lindi opened her eyes to find Legolas covering her. As she lifted her head, he moved away. He stood up and extended his hands to her. She held them as he lifted her to her feet. For a brief moment, she wanted time to stand still. She shook her head and came back to reality.  
  
"Where's Ali?" she asked aloud.  
  
"Over here!" said Aragorn. "She's alright, just unconscious. Is everyone else okay?"  
  
"Yeah," said Abby. "We're fine."  
  
"Well, we have no choice but to continue. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of the world."  
  
"Yeah," whispered Abby. "Balrogs."  
  
Lindi nodded and smirked.  
  
"It is a three day journey to the other side. Let us hope our presence may go unnoticed."  
  
Aragorn carried Ali in his arms. Gandalf led the way with his staff alight. On the eve of the first day, they came upon two tunnels.  
  
"I have no memory of this place," said Gandalf uneasily.  
  
"I do!" said Abby excitedly. "It's that way!"  
  
"How do you know this?" asked Aragorn.  
  
"The air doesn't smell so foul down here. When in doubt, always follow your nose!"  
  
"That's my motto," said Gandalf.  
  
Lindi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.  
  
They headed down the tunnel until they reached the halls of Moria. They were in awe of it. The large, stone pillars and detailed carvings seemed to fill up the hall, and, yet, it was so empty and large. It was then that Gimli saw a room with a light. He ran to it.  
  
"Gimli!" cried Gandalf. They all ran after him. It was then that they saw the grave. Gimli cried out in sadness.  
  
"Here lies Balin, Son of Hundin," read Gandalf, "Lord of Moria. He is dead, then... just as I feared."  
  
"We shouldn't stay here; we shouldn't linger," whispered Legolas to Aragorn.  
  
*Crash!* came the sound as Pippin knocked a bucket down a well. Everyone stood in silence waiting. Drums could be heard pounding in the deep.  
  
Right on cue, they heard the sound of goblins and orcs. Boromir and Aragorn, after laying Ali down by the wall, ran to the doors and looked out. They shut them quickly, just as arrows flew through the air and almost hit Boromir. That is when he gave his profound thought:  
  
"They have a cave troll."  
  
"We're all doomed! But, oh well! At least we get to fight," said Lindi. She turned around and saw Ali begin to come to. Lindi ran over to her.  
  
"Ali.. umm.. I would ask you how you feel, but I already know."  
  
"What happened? Where am I?"  
  
"Ali.. umm... Well, I think you should go back to sleep."  
  
"Ali? Who's Ali?"  
  
"Crap! Just our luck! Ali gets amnesia right before we die! Well, look... just stay here and don't get killed, okay?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Lindi!" Abby called. "Prepare for battle!"  
  
"Okay... Okay..." Lindi ran to where Abby was standing, ready to fight. The hobbits stayed at the back of the room protected by Gandalf, and Ali slid behind a large pillar.  
  
The great wooden doors strained behind the pressure of orcs and the troll. The orcs began creating large holes in the door, and, once the holes became big enough, Legolas, Lindi, Aragorn, and Abby fired arrows through them. Finally, the troll broke through the doors and gave a horrible scream. The battle had begun.  
  
Within minutes, they knew arrows were not going to work, so they drew swords and charged. Now Lindi knew how Legolas felt. She would kill to save her own skin, but the feeling of slicing flesh and blood was making her feel very nauseous. She could also tell that Abby was not getting much joy either. This was a real test of her skill. She had to kill orcs, dodge a troll, and not get shot. She soon began feeling tired, but she knew stopping was not an option.  
  
Abby was in as much of a predicament as Lindi. She had always thought that this battle would be just the best thing to do. Fighting seemed so fun when she parred with Lindi, but now she was actually killing. Beings, as bad as they were, were dying all around her. She looked over at Lindi who was beginning to slow down.  
  
"Lindi! Look out!" screamed Abby as an orc came up behind her. Lindi turned around and ducked just as the knife came down on hers. At the last second, the orc moved his knife down and cut her shoulder. Abby ran over and beheaded the orc.  
  
"You alright?" asked Abby.  
  
"Fine..." replied Lindi through clenched teeth. Just then, they heard the scream of the troll, and the ground shook as it hit the ground.  
  
"I guess Legolas did his job," laughed Abby.  
  
"We need to move out; the bridge is near. Aragorn, make sure the hobbits are together. Move out!"  
  
Aragorn led the hobbits out of the door, followed by Boromir. Gandalf had Ali by the arm and was dragging her down the hall. Lindi stood up, clenching her teeth in pain.  
  
"Is she alright?" asked Legolas as he passed.  
  
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Come on."  
  
Legolas knew she was not alright, but they had to move out. So, Abby, Lindi, and Legolas ran to catch up.  
  
Thousands of goblins poured out from holes in the ceiling. Within minutes, the company was surrounded. Everyone was stressed and scared except for Abby and Lindi. They knew what was coming. Soon, the goblins would flee in fear of what was to come. The ground shook and the goblins stood uneasily.  
  
"This is it," whispered Lindi. "Here he comes."  
  
"Run!" cried Gandalf.  
  
They ran down the hall until they came to a vast area of staircases.  
  
"Lead them on, Aragorn," commanded Gandalf. "The bridge is near." Aragorn only froze and held out his sword. "Do as you're told! Swords are no more use here!"  
  
So, they ran until they came to a cracked staircase. Legolas jumped the gap with ease and helped the rest across. He continued to run until they came to the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm. They all ran across. Gandalf was the last to cross, but he stopped in the middle of the bridge.  
  
Those on the other side of the bridge stared in fear. This was when Lindi first felt real fear since the fellowship began. As the Balrog appeared in the entrance way, the air from her lungs disappeared. This was how Gandalf was going to die. He would fight this fiery creature to save them. Over the cackling of flames, they heard Gandalf speak:  
  
"I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail, you Flame of Udûn! Go back to the shadow! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"  
  
The bridge broke and the Balrog fell. Lindi tried to dive to save Gandalf but Legolas grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She fought to get free. He grabbed her other arm and pulled her against himself in a tight embrace. Lindi still fought him, but it was useless. This couldn't be real. He couldn't die. It was then that she saw him fall. 


	10. Mourning

DISCLAIMER: Whatever- you all know we don't own it... *sigh*  
  
ABBY"S NOTE: Hey, everyone! Sorry it took so long to update. Hope you didn't miss us over spring break. I am posting this one because all of my floppies are broken, so I can't get it to Lindi. Oh well. By the way, Ali never gets around to writing her own notes because she is too busy, but she says hi. *waves* Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! PS- This story is not about Lindi's romantic fancies... Just wanted to say that the one time that I post the chapter. Love ya! Ciao!  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
"NO!" Lindi screamed.  
  
They all were in shock for a moment when they realized what had just happened, but Aragorn was brought back to reality. He grabbed the hobbits, and Boromir caught Ali and Abby's arms. Legolas held Lindi's good arm as he pulled her out, towards the exit.  
  
When they reached the outside, the sun was high in the sky; Lindi felt Legolas relax once he felt the kiss of the sun on his face. Lindi, on the other hand, was a wreck. She felt that it was her fault. She had known it was going to happen, but she didn't do anything about it.  
  
Legolas gently pushed her into a sitting position on the ground. "You are hurt. Let me see it."  
  
Lindi didn't care. The pain of letting Gandalf down weighed more than her torn shoulder.  
  
Feeling that Lindi was not going to comply, Legolas tore away her sleeve, so he could get a better view. It was not a deadly wound, but it needed to be tended, cleaned, and dressed which could not be done there. He took a cloth from his quiver that he used to polish his bow and wrapped it tightly around her shoulder. Lindi cringed with pain but still said nothing.  
  
"Legolas," called Aragorn. "Get them up."  
  
"Give them a moment, for pity sake!" protested Boromir.  
  
"Soon these hills will be swarming with orcs! We must reach the forest of Lothlorien by nightfall!"  
  
So on they traveled until they reached the forest. There, they slowed their pace, for the only ones that remembered ever being there were Legolas and Aragorn.  
  
Ali looked around. It was like she could vaguely remember this place... like she had seen it in a dream. She sighed and shook her head. She couldn't remember anything from before Moria, and trying this hard was giving her a headache.  
  
The fellowship walked into the woods; it was virtually silent, and no one spoke.  
  
Ali suddenly thought she heard a voice.  
  
"Your coming is as the footsteps of doom."  
  
Suddenly, Ali's hand shot up and grabbed The Ring that she was wearing on a chain around her neck. Doom... Mount Doom... everything came rushing back to her.  
  
"Wow," Ali whispered, stopping dead in her tracks and putting a hand to her forehead.  
  
"What, Ali?" asked Abby.  
  
"Nothing, Abby, other than the fact that I can remember things now!"  
  
"Yay! She's cured!" Abby said happily. "Unfortunately, she's as sarcastic as ever!" Unfortunately for Abby, she forgot to duck when Ali smacked her on the back of her head,  
  
Lindi couldn't help but laugh. "Yup, everything's back to normal."  
  
Gimli snorted. "Nothing will be normal until we get out of these woods." Turning to the hobbits, he explained, "They say an elf sorceress lives in these woods—" Gimli stopped suddenly as a horde of arrows was aimed at all members of the fellowship.  
  
"We wouldn't need a sorceress to shoot you, dwarf. You breathe so loud, we could have shot you in the dark," Haldir said.  
  
Ali rolled her eyes. "Okay, Haldir, everyone knows you don't like dwarves. You would think that someone of your age would have found a way to get over this silly prejudice," she said, clearly annoyed.  
  
Haldir glared at her. "I guess you aren't old enough to have learned manners," he said, assuming a superior manner.  
  
"I'm not the one aiming an arrow at a fellow elf," Ali snapped back. " Would you like to illustrate the manners you were alluding to?" she asked, her voice sickly sweet. "I wouldn't want to keep the Lady Galadriel waiting. THAT, I believe, would be rude."  
  
Haldir signaled his archers to lower their weapons before leading the fellowship deeper into Lothlorien. Lindi whispered to Ali, "Nice going. Are you trying to get us all killed?"  
  
Ali again rolled her eyes. "Of course not!" she hissed. "I just don't appreciate having people who are supposed to be on our side pointing weapons at me. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I've got enough to worry about!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The fellowship finally made it to the heart of Lothlorien. Ali, Abby, and Lindi had seen this place int the LOTR movies, but they still felt awed by the beauty of the forest and the buildings (if they could be called that— they looked as if they had grown out of the trees).  
  
The fellowship climbed a staircase that twined around a massive tree. "Hope you're not afraid of heights," Ali whispered to Abby.  
  
At the top of the stairs waited Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.  
  
"Eleven there were set out from Rivendell.. tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him?" Celeborn asked.  
  
Lindi was looking at Galadriel. As Galadriel seemed to read her mind, Lindi turned away.  
  
"He has fallen into shadow," Galadriel said quietly. "The fellowship stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all," she continued, this time looking at Abby. Galadriel's gaze turned to Boromir. "Yet hope remains, while the fellowship is true," she said. "Now go and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil." Her gaze now rested on Ali.  
  
"Welcome, Ali, Ringbearer, one who has seen the EYE!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The fellowship had descended from the tree to find tents set up for them, Ethereal voices were singing a lament for Gandalf.  
  
Ali shuddered. The voices were almost eerie, and their words reminded her of Moria... Ali honestly hoped they never had to go anywhere near the accursed place again.  
  
Ali noticed Lindi, sitting off by herself, looking rather depressed.  
  
"It's the music, isn't it?" Ali asked her, jokingly.  
  
"Hmm?" Lindi said, rather absentmindedly.  
  
"The music. The lament for Gandalf. It's making you depressed," Ali said.  
  
"Oh. yeah. That's it," Lindi said monotonously.  
  
Ali rolled her eyes. "Yeah right! Come on Lindi: What is it now?"  
  
"Nothing..." Lindi lied. Ali was less than convinced. Lindi sighed. "Fine... this is all my fault!"  
  
"Stop stealing my lines!"  
  
"Haha, very funny."  
  
"Yes, I know. Now what the heck are you talking about? WHAT is all your fault?"  
  
"Gandalf dying, ok?" Lindi yelle din frustration.  
  
Ali groaned. "Oh brother! Will you stop? It is NOT your fault. YOU aren't the Balrog."  
  
"That isn't the point! I could have saved him. I knew what was going to happen!"  
  
"Lindi, you tried. Legolas stopped you, remember? Does that make Legolas the one to blame?" After a moment of silence, Ali continued, "Exactly. Heaven forbid Legolas be blamed for something! Besides, Gandalf isn't gone forever."  
  
"I know, but..." Lindi trailed off.  
  
"Look at it this way, then: Remember that one story we read online?" Lindi shook her head. Ali explained. "It was the one where Legolas tried to save Gandalf and Gandalf really died... and Legolas got tortured... Anyway, that might have happened if you actually managed to grab Gandalf."  
  
Lindi pondered for a moment. "I guess you have a point..." she muttered begrudgingly.  
  
"Of course I do!" Ali replied, grinning. "Now stop blaming yourself for this stuff, okay?"  
  
"I guess," Lindi said, slightly more cheerful.  
  
"You guess what?" a voice asked behind them.  
  
Lindi and Ali both jumped. It was Abby.  
  
"Nothing," Lindi said.  
  
"Yeah, nothing," Ali agreed. "At least, nothing really important.:  
  
"Okay..." Abby said, not believing them.  
  
"So, how are you doing, Abby? How are you feeling?" asked Lindi, trying to change the subject.  
  
"Fine... but how are you?" Abby asked.  
  
"Yeah... How are you? You were injured in Moria, weren't you?" Ali asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure she's fine now," Abby said, with a sly look spreading across her face. "Legolas helped her."  
  
"Leave me alone! I'm fine!" Lindi said exasperated. "I am not the one who got stabbed by a Nazgûl!" she exclaimed, glaring daggers at Ali.  
  
"So? I'm fine!" Ali said.  
  
"Yeah, you're fine now... but soon you will fall to the power of The Ring!" abby said in a melodramatic voice.  
  
"Not if I can help it," Ali muttered.  
  
"Who knows, you may already be corrupted!" Abby said.  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Okay, then— prove it!"  
  
"How?" 


	11. The Mirror

Lindi A/N: Ok then. Thank you VERY much for the reviews! *tear* so beautiful... well most of them. Applesauce *cough* Tiffer *cough* should think b4 he reviews. Lol Well yeah this chappie is...well not that full of adventure. It will clear up some questions you might have about what happed b4 Rivendell, and what happened to our dear young Frodo Baggins. Tee hee. So enjoy and R&R!!  
  
Disclaimer: We own nothing! Well we own ourselves but we don't own any of the characters, places ect.... All the applause goes to J.R.R. Tolkien  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Abby thought for a moment. "Give me The Ring. I promise I'll give it back."  
  
Ali thought about it. "Okay," she said. "Here." So, she took The Ring's chain from around her neck and handed it (with the ring on it) to Abby.  
  
"There. Are you happy now?" asked Ali.  
  
"Sure," Abby said, handing The Ring back to Ali. "As long as you don't end up corrupted. That would be bad."  
  
"No kidding, smart one!" Ali said, rather sarcastically. "Well, I am going to bed. See you guys in the morning."  
  
Ali walked off. She had no intention of going up to where most of the fellowship was snoring away. She fully intended to wander around Lothlorien. She had just gone out of sight of her friends when she came upon Galadriel standing near a pedestal with a bowl on it.  
  
"Will you look into the mirror?" she asked.  
  
"Umm... What will I see?" Ali asked tentatively.  
  
"Even the wisest cannot say for the mirror shows many things," Galadriel said mysteriously. "Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not come to pass," she finished cryptically.  
  
"Okay... do you think I would want to look?" Ali asked uncertainly.  
  
Galadriel simply stepped back from the mirror. She said nothing.  
  
Sighing, Ali crept up to the mirror and peered over the edge of the bowl. At first, all she could see was her reflection.  
  
"Well, that is scary enough for me," Ali thought. Ripples suddenly formed out of nowhere. When the ripples stopped, it was not her reflection Ali was left staring at.  
  
She saw a town burning and orcs running through it. The picture faded, and another took its place. Nazgûl were flying around Gondor. Again, the picture changed. The fellowship was surrounded by orcs. Everyone was fighting for their life. Ali saw Boromir die. Then, Lindi fell, unconscious. She and Merry and Pippin were hauled off by orcs. Ali couldn't see what had happened to Abby, but she felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out.  
  
Then there was only one thing Ali could see in the mirror: the eye of Sauron.  
  
Ali leapt back from the mirror. She stared, wide eyed and panting with fright at Galadriel.  
  
"What was it that I saw?" she demanded angrily, pointing at the mirror. "What does it mean?"  
  
"What does what mean?" Abby asked. Ali spun around to see Abby and Lindi standing behind her.  
  
"Oh, you looked in the mirror," Lindi guessed. "What did you see?"  
  
"Nothing," Ali lied, shuddering. "At least, nothing that you don't already know," Ali tried to force what she had seen out of her head, but all she could see was one of her friends being hauled off by orcs while the other friend was missing. She was more than a little paranoid.  
  
"I know what it is you saw, for it is in my mind as well," Galadriel said.  
  
"You have no idea!" Ali snapped.  
  
Lindi knew Ali hated it, but she was worried about her. Ali never snapped at anyone unless she was truly angry or frightened. To Lindi, it seemed a combination of both.  
  
Ali turned back to her two friends, obviously irritated. "Come on you two! We shouldn't bother the Lady Galadriel any longer!"  
  
"Now, Ali! I'm surprised at you!" Abby exclaimed in a mocking voice. "You better be careful who's around when you are angry; you might find yourself at the other end of an arrow." Abby chuckled, but Ali just sent her a look that would pierce Mithril.  
  
They had turned their backs on Galadriel at this point and begun to walk back to camp. Suddenly, Abby stopped.  
  
"Where's Lindi?" she asked. Turning back around, she saw Lindi very close to Galadriel, speaking with her. Ali and Abby looked at each other and ran towards her, but it was too late— Lindi had looked into the mirror.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Lindi leaned over the bowl and stared at the scenes playing out before her. It was a horrible sight. Frodo and the other hobbits were running for their lives as Strider attempted to protect them from an unknown fear.  
  
Another scene was revealed. Frodo disappeared as he put on The Ring and moments later reappeared, screaming in agony. Lindi recognized all of this, but something had changed from the movie.  
  
She then saw herself, Ali, and Abby emerge from the trees, attacking the Nazgûl... but they were too late. The Nazgûl had struck Frodo again, but this time in the heart. He was dead.  
  
Lindi saw Ali's form run and save The Ring from the Nazgûl's clutches. She managed to put the chain around her neck, but she was stabbed by the same blade that had slain Frodo before she could escape.  
  
Lindi turned cold as she watched herself ushering the hobbits to safety and Strider keeping the Nazgûl at bay. Their forms disappeared as another scene evolved in the mirror.  
  
Abby was trying to carry or drag the limp, screaming form of Ali's body. Lindi saw her collapse as Ali's screams continued. Arwen arrived, and the image dissolved.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Abby saw Lindi jerk away. She looked horrible... and it wasn't the kind of horrible of a person after a crappy day— it was the kind of horrible that nobody ever wanted or deserved to be.  
  
"Lindi..." Abby asked with trepidation. "Lindi...?"  
  
"I- I'm fine. Just a little surprised, I guess."  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
"I saw how we got here and how Frodo died... I don't know why it was different from the movie..."  
  
She turned to Ali, who had been quiet up to this point. "Ali, I saw you save The Ring from the Nazgûl. You were stabbed and screaming in pain. I felt so helpless!"  
  
"It's going to be alright," Ali said reassuringly. "I'm alright, and I never felt that pain. Not really. You know that."  
  
She led Lindi back to the tent. Abby followed, after a moment. She restrained herself just inches from the mirror. With a glance at Galadriel, who nodded, she ran to catch up with her friends.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
When the girls had reached camp all was peaceful. Everyone, except for Gimli of course, felt as one with the forest. Lothlorien was a safe place for them to be.  
  
The hobbits began snoring loudly in their tents. A collective groan rose among the awake. Lindi looked at Abby, who nodded.  
  
Abby marched into Merry and Pippin's tent.  
  
"Uh Oh..." Ali knew was coming and a wicked grin flickered across her face.  
  
Suddenly, she heard crying and two voice saying together: "No! You can't do this to us!"  
  
Ali and Lindi entered the tent to find Merry and Pippin kneeling in front of Abby with looks of fear on their faces. Begging hobbits were not happy hobbits.  
  
"Abby! I thought you were just going to smother them with their blankets! What are you doing?" asked Ali, slightly afraid to know.  
  
Merry answered, "She told us that Sam will only give us three meals a day! She is a cruel elf!" He broke down crying.  
  
The elf girls laughed and left.  
  
Later, when Aragorn checked on the hobbits, he saw they had fallen asleep with twigs stuffed up their noses.  
  
~Don't throw tomatoes at me! *hides behind desk* I'm sry about Frodo I really am but it had to be done! You know the drill... R&R! Oh and who thinks Tifferbeard should die? lol~ 


	12. An Elven Encounter

DISCLAIMER: It is Lindi's Birthday this Thursday, if you want to donate the full rights to Lord of the Rings, she would be extremely grateful. Until then, however, we don't own it.  
  
Abby's Note: I think you will all really like this chapter. It has a lot of characters that are confused about their lives and their role in the fellowship. I warn you, I am a very headstrong and stubborn person, and that shows within this chapter and throughout the story. We have over 180 written pages now! Yippee! Stay tuned in.  
  
Lindi Note: Yep my dreaded b-day is coming up. *sigh* I'm getting to old for this. Lol Yeah but I Do love this chapter a lot! Oh yeah and by the way.. FRODO IS NOT COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD!! I'm sry but he is gone. He is in the "happy hunting grounds" as my dad always says. But it will be ok. After all... Legolas is in this fanfic so what could be wrong w/ that? Oh and could plz review for my b-day present! I would be really really happy! Oha nd the rights to LOTR would be great too!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
It was late at night when Abby told her two friends that she was going a little further into the forest. She said, "I just need to climb a tree and forget my worries... I've had a lot of them lately." She looked pointedly at the thing hanging around Ali's neck.  
  
After many times reassuring Ali, the worry-wart, Abby set off into the woods. She went a hundred paces before she veered off course. She headed back in the direction from which she had come. She skirted around the camp as she neared it once more and headed towards the pedestal. Galadriel stood there still, regal and imperious.  
  
"I knew you would return, for you have the curiosity that most are not grace, or cursed, with."  
  
"You are wise, Lady Galadriel. This is the reason for which I have returned. I have many things to ask. I may only hope you shall answer."  
  
"Ask your questions, and I shall answer in as much truth as may be."  
  
"Then... When we first arrived, you looked into each of our hearts, did you not?"  
  
Galadriel nodded.  
  
"What did you see when you told me: 'Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all...'? What may I do to stay true to the fellowship?"  
  
"it is your heart the I have looked into, and it is for you to discover the truth within it. This fellowship may be on a quest to destroy The One Ring, but other quests are intertwined within it. Each of the fellowship has something to learn. You have already learned a small part of yours..."  
  
Abby blushed, remembering what she had told Legolas of her opinion of the grand lady standing before her.  
  
"Is there something else you wish to ask?"  
  
"But wait!" Abby exclaimed. "You did not answer my question from before!"  
  
"I cannot answer questions from which you yourself must discern the truth."  
  
"Oh... alright..." replied Abby, dejectedly.  
  
"I suppose you still wish to gaze into the mirror?"  
  
Abby thought about this for a moment. She was not sure she wanted to look, but... this is what she had snuck away for.  
  
"Yes," she replied resolutely. "I shall look into the mirror."  
  
Galadriel took one step back as Abby leaned over the pedestal. She cleared her mind of all thoughts and looked.  
  
The face of each being in the fellowship passed by slowly as if in a slide show:  
  
Merry, Pippin, Sam, Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, Lindi, and Ali.  
  
Finally, the image in the mirror returned to Abby's own reflection. She was baffled. This made no sense.  
  
She looked up to where Galadriel was standing but found she was no longer there. She has returned to her own dwellings, apparently.  
  
Abby decided to do what she had told her friends, and go sit in a tree. She found a beautiful one with great, broad branches. She climbed into it as she would a comfortable armchair. While her thoughts became clearer in the higher atmosphere, the meaning of what she had seen still escaped her.  
  
A rustling in the leaves above her interrupted her concentration.  
  
"You have stolen my tree," said Legolas.  
  
"The trees belong to all, do they not?"  
  
"Yes, each tree has its own voice and its own will."  
  
"So how then," asked Abby," Have I stolen a tree from you that you did not own in the first place?"  
  
Legolas climbed down to the branch where Abby was sitting. "You are wise for an elf so young and head strong."  
  
Abby grinned.  
  
"So why have you come out to the forest on this night?"  
  
"I can return that question to you, Master Elf."  
  
"That is very true. Very well, I was enjoying the beauty of which the Valar hath given us."  
  
Abby raised an eyebrow at this. "Come now, Legolas, I thought we were past all this 'walking around words.' Just be frank with me."  
  
"Only if you begin."  
  
"Fine," Abby began reluctantly. 'I looked into the mirror of Galadriel. I saw—"  
  
"That is for you, and for you alone to know. I too have gazed upon the Pool of Insight, and though it troubles me, I know it is for my mind's eye to know only."  
  
Abby was amazed at this. He has dumbfounded her. But she would not give him the pleasure of knowing it.  
  
"Well, I shall leave your tree. I must rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring."  
  
"I will see you with the rising sun, oh young, Hodoer,"(wise one) Legolas said sarcastically.  
  
Abby jumped down from the tree and headed back to where the others slumbered peacefully. She went to her own tent and laid down on the soft earth.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Lindi sat in her tent, unable to rest her mind. Thoughts of the mirror, the future and the past all mixed together in one huge mess.  
  
"Why are the young ones so restless on this night?" Lindi looked up to see Legolas standing at the entrance of the tent.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"I followed Abby back. Her mind was not at rest, the same feeling I am sure you have at this very time."  
  
"My eyes divulge my secrets, for windows they are to my soul. It is true. I can not get peace of mind."  
  
"Mani naa ta?"(What is it?) he asked as he sat down.  
  
Lindi dropped her gaze to the ground. She knew he had seen right through her. "I could not explain it to you," she said.  
  
"Mankoi? It troubles you. Perhaps I may help." (Why)  
  
"No, you cannot. No one can. O will deal with this on my own."  
  
"Look at me."  
  
Lindi raised her head slowly. He could not understand her past. This had all started out as just a big game. Now, it was getting dangerous. Now he was trying to get into her head to find out what was wrong, yet Lindi didn't know what he would see. This was getting as bad as looking into that stupid mirror.  
  
"Legolas, there are some things that I just cannot explain to you. You would not understand."  
  
"I have walked on these lands for many years. I have seen much. You are very young. Why do you think I would not understand?"  
  
"Trust me, you will not understand." How could she even begin to explain? How could she tell him that she was sixteen year old high school student? That she was about to be able to drive a car and was just trying to survive school, church, and the other everyday activities? She sounded stupid just thinking about it.  
  
"I wish you would trust me."  
  
"Right now, I trust no one."  
  
"Not even your friends? You three seem to be inseparable."  
  
"We are... but..."  
  
"But what? Oh... I see."  
  
"you do? Sut?"(how)  
  
"I see it. Ali is slowly being taken by The Ring. Her heart is pure, but it is slowly being eaten away by the evil of The Ring. Abby is lost in her confusion of her purpose in this quest."  
  
"And you found all this out from me?" asked Lindi, questionably.  
  
Legolas chuckled. "No. I have been watching."  
  
"Legolas!" called Aragorn from outside the tent. "I must speak with you."  
  
Legolas got up and headed out.  
  
"Tenna' tul're Arwenamin" (until tomorrow my lady)  
  
Once he had left, Lindi laid down, trying to clear her mind once again. This was getting ridiculous.  
  
*Yes another chapter! Party on! Come on R&R!!* 


	13. Time for a Swim?

Lindi Note: Thank you thank you thank you! I had a great B-day reading your reviews! It was a blast! Yes, I know I know this chappie is really late. It's all Abby's fault! lol Actually we have finals coming up which equals major stress and HW. So we are very sorry for not updating! Forgive us! Oh and R&R plz! That makes us want to update! Oh and just to let you know, we are past helms deep and working on our 3rd Notebook! Isn't that cool! I will say, and Abby and Ali will agree, that I wrote most of the 2nd Notebook. So uh.. you will see what happens to us! Doesn't that sound great?!?! I bet it does. So enjoy the chappie!  
  
Disclamer: We don't own LOTR or anything else written by JRR Tolkien! We own ourselves. That's it!  
  
Time for a Swim?  
  
"What do you need, Mellon nin?" asked Legolas.  
  
"We must leave tomorrow. I know the fellowship is weary and sorrowful, Galadriel said as much herself. But I know the enemy is moving," replied Aragorn.  
  
"This I do know. What would you have me do? I will follow you and do whatever it is that you would have me do."  
  
"I greatly worry about the elf maidens. There is some secret they hold between each other, yet I do not know what. Gandalf told me of it, but he did not tell me what it was. It may be that it is a great evil. Then again, it could be the key to saving Middle Earth."  
  
"What would you have me do?"  
  
"I am no elf. It is true that I am well acquainted in your ways, but you and them hold a common bond that I cannot understand. All I ask of you is to protect them at all costs. As hard as it may be for you..." a smile crept across Aragorn's face.  
  
Legolas raised an eyebrow with a questioning look but said nothing. "Yes, it will be. Sleep well, Mellon nin."  
  
The two friends headed off their separate ways.  
  
The hobbits arose refreshed and rejuvenated.  
  
"Well," said Sam, yawning, "I guess I ought to be makin' breakfast."  
  
"Aye, that's a great idea Sam! I'm hungry," said Merry, excitedly.  
  
"Me too! Come on now, hurry this up before we die of starvation!" cried Pippin.  
  
"You're both always hungry— that is something to be sure of. Let me see what I can create for you both."  
  
"No need," Abby said as she joined the hobbits. "I have brought something that can satisfy even the most hungry hobbit."  
  
"What?" the hobbits asked in unison.  
  
"Lembas! It's wonderful and very tasty. Try it." She handed each of them a piece. "This is all we get? I am hungry! Can't we have more?" complained Pippin.  
  
"You will not need any more than that," said Legolas as he walked up. "One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."  
  
"But we are not men," protested Merry. "We are starvin' hobbits!"  
  
"Could have fooled me!" laughed Abby. "Just eat what I have given you, and if you are still hungry, I will give you more, later."  
  
Aragorn has been up since the sun had touched the edge of the forest. Everything was packed and ready. The boats had been well stocked, and all was well.  
  
Galadriel sent for the fellowship to join her by the river. They all lined up, awaiting her next act.  
  
"You each receive an elven cloak. May it protect you from evil eyes. To you, Ali, I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out.  
  
"And to you, Legolas, I give you a bow of the ??????a fine weapon for out woodland kin.  
  
"To Merry and Pippin, daggers you receive for your bravery.  
  
"And to you, Samwise, elven rope.  
  
"To you, Abby, I give water from the spring of hope. May it give you the strength to endure when all hope is lost.  
  
"Lindi, I give you the heart of eternity. It will shine when thy heart is true."  
  
Finally, she came to Gimli.  
  
"And what would a dwarf ask of the elves?"  
  
"Nothing. Only to look upon the face of the Lady of Light one last time, for she is fairer than anything that has ever walked on this earth."  
  
Galadriel laughed and Gimli blushed.  
  
"There is one thing I would be honored to have."  
  
"And what is that?" she asked.  
  
"One golden hair from your golden head."  
  
"And so you shall have it." With that, she gave him three strands of her golden hair. Gimli quickly pulled out a leather pouch and placed them inside, still beet red.  
  
Galadriel stepped back and the fellowship bowed politely. They then headed to their boat.  
  
The fellowship headed down the swift river. Aragorn and the hobbits were in one boat. Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir were in the second boat. And Lindi, Abby, and Ali had their own boat. The river at times was very slow and dull. So, at these times, everyone would play games, mostly between the elf maidens' and Gimli's boats. They would attempt to push one another over using the waves made by their paddles. Boromir and Legolas were very skilled with their oars, but Lindi, Ali, and Abby were not so gifted. That is why they used their paddles directly to try and tip the others' boat.  
  
"Place all of the supplies in our boat," said Aragorn. "I know that one, or both, of your boats are going to tip."  
  
"Never!" said Legolas. "They shall never t—"  
  
His sentence was cut off as the boat tipped over, and the elf, man, and dwarf fell into the river. Aragorn turned to see Ali, Abby, and Lindi howling with laughter as the 3 males tried to turn the boat back over.  
  
"Alright," said Gimli, treading water. "Now which one of you lasses tipped the boat?"  
  
Abby and Ali turned and pointed at Lindi, who put on her most innocent face.  
  
"Me? NO! I didn't do it."  
  
"I should have known," said Boromir, getting their boat turned right side up.  
  
"Come on," said Ali, "It was very funny to watch!"  
  
"I wouldn't know," he replied. "As I was too busy going for a swim!"  
  
The elf maidens just laughed.  
  
"But remember," quoted Gimli, "What goes around comes around."  
  
Perfectly timed, the girls' boat tipped over backward. They screamed as they hit the water.  
  
"Haha, Legolas! Nicely done!" cheered Aragorn.  
  
"No one tips my boat and gets away with it!" he said with a grin.  
  
"Oh yeah?" said Lindi.  
  
Finished with this chappie! Happy now? No u want is to keep updating I bet. Well we shall if we get reviews asking us to. 


	14. Water and Trances

DISCLAIMER: Yada, yada, yada. Let's move on.  
  
ABBY'S NOTE: I'd just like to mention that this is a 'happy' chapter. It doesn't have too, too much seriousness in it— I mean, it has some, but not a lot. Many of you have noted that the last chapter is a bit shorter than the chapters usually are. I am sorry, but due to summer break rapidly approaching, we have to either slow down the number of posts or make shorter chapters. I believe that the latter is preferable. That is why we have decreased the length by about half a page on each chapter. I just want to be able to have enough material for the entire summer, when Ali, Lindi, and I can't pass The Notebook around to write new stuff. Thanks so much for understanding. I love you all! Keep reviewing.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Lindi pushed Legolas under the water. Gimli was trying to climb into the boat, but Abby stopped him by dragging him back in by his jerkin. Lindi swam over to where Ali was busy trying to get back into the boat.  
  
"Well, this is just great!" said Ali. "Now we are all soaking wet with no way to dry off!"  
  
"Lighten up! Enjoy this while you can. Remember, soon all the dirt in Middle Earth will be on you— once you reach Mordor. No baths there."  
  
"I don't want to go to Mordor!" Ali whined.  
  
"Oh, come on! You get to see Sauron. Plus all of the lovely scenery!"  
  
"What Mordor are you talking about?"  
  
"Alright... So it's gonna suck, but you get to go to Gondor and Minas Morgul."  
  
"Sounds like fun," Ali said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"No one sneaks up on me and gets away with it, Creirwy," said a voice behind Lindi.  
  
"What th—"  
  
And without warning, Lindi went under.  
  
"Well that was nice," Ali said. "You know that drowning her will get us nowhere."  
  
"I would never drown a fellow elf," Legolas replied defensively. "However, I think it only fair to repay her for what she did to me."  
  
"My lady, do you wish to fly?" asked Boromir as he came up behind Ali.  
  
"Only birds can fly, so how can I?" was her quizzical response. Then it hit her. "NO! Don't you da—"  
  
She was already flying through the air, screaming.  
  
"Where did Ali go?" asked Lindi, breaking the surface.  
  
"She went to get a little air, that's all," said Boromir, winking at Legolas. "Would you like to join her?"  
  
"No... really. That's okay..."  
  
And another elf went flying through the air.  
  
Abby swam over to where her two friends were plotting their next move.  
  
"They will pay!" exclaimed Ali.  
  
But Aragorn butted in. "Back to the boats!" he called.  
  
"Awww..." groaned the three elf maidens.  
  
The six swimmers turned their boats back over and climbed in. The hobbits had been very amused by the whole scene of tipping, splashing, and dunking, but they knew that their lives would be forfeit if they went for a swim.  
  
The group continued down the river, hitting small rapids and strong currents, but nothing too dangerous. They stopped for the night in a large clearing. Here, Aragorn started 2 small fires. One was used by Sam to make dinner, and the other was used to dry wet clothes.  
  
They all sat around Sam's fire, watching the food sizzle and smoke. Lindi, Ali, and Abby all sat wrapped up in blankets.  
  
"Well, that was a fun day," said Abby. "But tomorrow, I really don't want to go swimming... I don't think I have enough changes of clothes."  
  
They all laughed.  
  
"Are you hungry?" asked Sam, as he revealed three steaming bowls of food.  
  
"Depends on what it is!" answered Lindi.  
  
"Just some taters and broth is all. After your adventures today, I didn't want to be givin' you anythin' too strong."  
  
"Thank you, Sam," said Ali. "I'm sure it will taste delightful like all of your cooking."  
  
He blushed, gave them the food, and went back to his cooking.  
  
After a few minutes of eating in silence, Abby finally spoke. "So who's going with who?"  
  
Both Lindi and Ali looked up at her. They had all been thinking about it since Rivendell, but now it was becoming more real. The truth was that they all knew what the next day would hold: Boromir would try to take The Ring, and then he'd die. Merry and Pippin would be kidnapped, and, as Ali saw in the mirror, Lindi might also be taken, but she did not want to say anything.  
  
"Well?" asked Abby again.  
  
"I have to go to Mordor. There really is no arguing that. But I wanna go to Helm's Deep!" whined Ali for the second time that day.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" said Lindi. "You know that the two of us and Sam are all going with you. We will all miss Helm's Deep."  
  
"True," said Ali, wanting to believe that it would be that simple.  
  
"So that's it?" asked Abby.  
  
"Yeah. We will fight off some orcs, then take a boat across the river, and head to Mordor," said Lindi.  
  
"Well," Ali butted in, "We need to be careful. We don't know what could happen with the orcs. So stay together, and don't go off trying to be the heroines, you two. We don't need anything happening."  
  
"Well, I want to go to bed," said Abby.  
  
"Me, too," agreed Lindi.  
  
"We will all go to sleep. Tomorrow will be another fun day!" Ali said sarcastically.  
  
"Goody," replied Lindi.  
  
They all went to their mats to go to sleep. Ali tossed and turned. She could not get the images from Galadriel's mirror out of her head. She finally fell asleep.  
  
The next day dawned bright. Ali couldn't help but smirk at the irony: Today was going to be the breaking of the fellowship, and Ali was sure that the weather had never been better.  
  
Ali stood up and stretched. This was going to be a rough day... She shook her head and tried to get what she had seen in Galadriel's mirror out of her head. It was impossible. Ali realized that just because she had seen something in the mirror didn't mean it was going to happen. Still... Ali sighed. She needed to try to figure things out. Ali began to walk away from the camp before stopping suddenly.  
  
Ali sat down as a though flickered across her mind: what if she didn't walk off at all today? What if Boromir didn't try to take The Ring? How would that change everything?  
  
Ali furrowed her brow in concentration. Would such a seemingly small decision affect the entire course of the fellowship? Of Middle Earth? Ali shook her head again. She had trouble enough choosing what she wanted for breakfast every morning. Her nickname was "Miss Indecisive." How was she supposed to come up with an answer to this?  
  
Almost in a trance, Ali began to walk away from the camp. She was soon out of sight, but she was being followed.  
  
  
/   
.--=='/  
,/,,){}}}  
-,------,----,-----,---,'--' {{}} jgs '--==.}/ 


	15. Hide and Seek

DISCLAIMER: I wish I owned Aragorn... yet I only own a poster with his face on it. SIGH  
  
ABBY'S NOTE: This chapter is longer than even our normal standards. I hope you enjoy it, because there is very little left in The Fellowship of The Ring. There is about one more page that will be shown in the next chapter, but this is basically it. I'd like to present a great idea! When you review (and I know you are all going to review) tell us which of our original characters (Abby, Lindi, and Ali) you like the best and tell us why. Next chapter I'll have a new poll. (Also, did the rose from last chapter turn out?) Love you all lots! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Ali was drawn out of her thoughts rather suddenly when she heard a voice. She spun around to see Boromir collecting firewood behind her. She blinked a couple of times in order to make sure that she was awake... The camp was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Oh brother," Ali muttered under her breath. "I'm in charge of The Ring, and I don't even know where the heck I'm wandering." Raising her voice to its normal level, she asked Boromir, "What did you say? Sorry, I was kind of... lost in my thoughts."  
  
"I said that none of us should wander off alone— you least of all. So much depends on you..." Boromir trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Ali said, stifling a chuckle. All she could think was: "Thank you Captain Obvious!"  
  
"You said that you were lost in your thoughts," Boromir said. "You looked troubled."  
  
Ali's gaze became clouded and distant again. "Mmhmm..." she replied softly. Her focus returned to the present moment as she shook off her nerves as best she could. "It's nothing. Just something I heard at Lothlorien. It's not like I'm suffering or anything," she said calmly with a hint of a wry smile flickering across her face.  
  
"If you suffer, is it possible that you suffer needlessly?" Boromir asked.  
  
Ali sighed. "Boromir, I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm fine," she said.  
  
Suddenly, Boromir seemed angry. His jaw clenched. "Maybe you do not," he growled, "but the people of Gondor, my people, do. All I ask is for the strength to protect my people!" he yelled as he threw his stack of firewood down. Ali was more than a little on edge. Boromir continued. "Aragorn has turned his back on our people. He refuses to help," he said, speaking more quietly but with the same anger in his voice. "But you can help us!" he said with a wild look in his eyes.  
  
"You are right, Boromir," Ali said, weight behind every word. "I am helping them by keeping this evil from them, for it would destroy them. Forever." Ali stared at Boromir, hoping against hope that her words would break through his corrupted mind.  
  
Boromir's face contorted with rage. "It could have been mine! It should have been mine! Give it to me!" he bellowed as he leapt at the elf maiden in front of him.  
  
Luckily for Ali, being an elf made her reflexes as quick as lightning. She leapt away like a deer and sped through the woods. She thought she heard Boromir fall and yell for forgiveness, but she couldn't be sure. And she couldn't stop running.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Abby and Lindi had begun to pack up their bags.  
  
"Boy! Ali sure decided to sleep in today!" Abby grumbled. "Lindi, go wake her up!" she commanded.  
  
Not feeling like starting a debate first thing in the morning, Lindi walked over to Ali's tent. The tent and all of Ali's things were there, but Ali was not.  
  
"Great!" Lindi said, rolling her eyes. "Abby, it looks like our brilliant friend decided to go on a casual morning stroll," she reported, sarcastically. "And it looks like Boromir has conveniently gone off to look for more firewood."  
  
"Better tell Aragorn and start looking for them," Abby said, rather grimly. She knew what this was going to lead to. "Should have stayed in bed," she muttered under her breath.  
  
Ali had reached the summit of Amon Hen. She ran over to the large thrones of the ancient mountain kings. She leaned against one of the massive stone thrones and slid down to a sitting position. She felt very shaky.  
  
She closed her eyes and forced herself to take several deep, calm breaths. She opened her eyes and forced herself to her feet. Ali still felt a little shaky, but her jaw was clenched in determination. She had to go to Mordor, and that was that.  
  
Just as she was about to step out from the shadow of the throne, she saw someone walking towards her. Her sword was out of its sheath in record time.  
  
"Ali?" the person asked. It was Aragorn.  
  
Ali relaxed and put her sword back in its sheath. "Yeah," she managed to respond. "Sorry about the sword... I didn't know who was sneaking up on me," she said, trying to sound normal. She wasn't sure why that had suddenly become so difficult. "I have to go to Mordor now," she continued. "Each member of the fellowship can choose their own course, but mine is set. I am not going to Gondor if I can help it."  
  
"That's fine," Aragorn said. Ali was obviously upset about something.  
  
Aragorn didn't get a chance to ask what it was that had upset Ali. Both he and Ali could now easily hear orcs heading their way. Aragorn drew his sword to fight, as did Ali.  
  
"Get out of here!" Aragorn yelled at Ali.  
  
"I can fight, too!" she yelled back.  
  
Aragorn was exasperated. "Too much depends on you for you to stay here and fight! Go NOW!"  
  
Ali hesitated for a second more before scowling and sheathing her sword. "Good luck," she said sincerely before turning and running down the hill.  
  
Lindi and Abby had been looking for their friend for what had seemed like eternity. Lindi groaned. "This isn't getting us anywhere. I think we should split up."  
  
Abby didn't think this was the greatest idea ever, but she agreed. "Alright, I guess. Just yell or something if you get into trouble."  
  
"Why? Are you gonna come rescue me or something?" Lindi asked jokingly.  
  
"Not if you keep annoying me!" Abby threatened.  
  
"Oh, I'm sacred now!" Lindi called over her shoulder as she walked away from Abby.  
  
"You should be!" Abby yelled, determined to have the last word. When she didn't hear a response, Abby walked on in search of her other friend.  
  
It wasn't long before Abby heard someone running her way. She ducked behind a tree and fitted an arrow to her bow. A moment later, the person came into view— it was Ali, running down the side of the hill.  
  
Abby couldn't let the chance to trey and scare her friend go by unnoticed, especially after Abby had been searching for her for what seemed like ages. Right as Ali was about to run by, Abby jumped out in front of her.  
  
"Abby!" Ali yelled, clearly not in the mood for such jokes. "Will you ever grow up?! Never mind, don't answer that. Where's Lindi? Is she gonna leap down from one of the trees or something?!"  
  
"Shiesk, Ali! Lighten up!" Abby said, rather put off by the implication that she was immature. "No, Lindi is not going to leap out of a tree. I don't know where she is... She went off the other way, looking for you!" she said, gesturing in the direction that Lindi had gone.  
  
"Please tell me that you are joking!" Ali said, the color draining from her face.  
  
"Umm... no. Why? What's the matter?"  
  
Without another word, Ali took off towards where Lindi had gone. Abby ran after her.  
  
"We have to find Lindi before the orcs do!" Ali yelled at Abby over her shoulder.  
  
"Why? Don't you think that Lindi would be able to get away from a couple of stupid orcs?" Abby asked. She was more than a little tired of trying to find her friends.  
  
"Not according to Galadriel's mirror!" Ali muttered. Abby hadn't heard what she had said. All she knew was that it was pointless to try and get Ali to stop looking for Lindi at this point in time.  
  
Lindi still hadn't found Ali. However, she did hear the hobbits yelling from the direction she was headed. She ran towards the noise, hoping that the hobbits had found her friend. She was sick of this "hide and seek" thing. Especially since this was slightly more important than a game.  
  
As Lindi got closer to the noise, she realized that the hobbits were not yelling happily— They were calling for help. The noise of orcs had become mingled with their cry. Lindi drew her sword and prepared to fight as she heard a very different sound.  
  
"The horn of Gondor!" Ali said as the sound of its blow flooded the forest. "And I will be willing to bet that Lindi will be headed towards that noise!"  
  
The two elves continued towards the epicenter of the sound. By the time that they had reached Boromir, however, it was too late to do anything. The only orcs in the clearing were dead. The hobbits were gone. Boromir leaned against a tree, pierced with many orc arrows. It was easy to see that he was dying.  
  
The smell of orc blood permeated the air. An oppressive feeling of death lingered among the trees. It made both elves physically ill.  
  
Ali could see Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli headed in their direction. She would leave them to deal with Boromir— she couldn't. She motioned to Abby to head in the direction the orcs had gone. There was nothing they could do here, but perhaps they could manage to catch up with the orcs... without a word, the elves moved on again. 


	16. The End of the Beginning

DISCLAIMER: To quote Took of Rohan (from our reviews): "This is trite."  
  
ABBY'S NOTE: Lindi just left for a missions trip in South Dakota, so she won't be able to read your reviews for a little bit— No computer... Poor Lindi. Anyway, I know that this is a really short chappie and that it took forever to put up. Please forgive me. I will type up the next chapter very quickly, now that I have the actual story to type up. And the reason that this chapter is so short, by the way, is that it ends at the end of the first book. So, I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to review!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Aragorn was the first to reach the dying Boromir. He rushed to the injured warrior's side, but he realized that there was nothing he could do to help.  
  
"Please forgive me... I tried to take The Ring from Ali," Boromir gasped. "The orcs... they took the halflings, and one of the elf-maidens..." with that, Boromir died.  
  
Legolas heard what Boromir had said. He had also noticed Ali and Abby headed in the direction that the orcs had gone. Silently, he ran off after them. There was no way he could allow them to run after a troop of orcs, especially since Ali had The Ring.  
  
Ali and Abby had finally made it out of the forest. They stood by the remains of their camp, their boats grounded only a few yards away.  
  
Again, Ali was faced with a tough decision: Go after the orcs or begin the long trek to Mordor? She knew that she really shouldn't chase after the orcs— she had The Ring of Power, and she had to destroy it. Still... Ali suddenly realized that the hobbits were probably not the only ones carried off.  
  
"Just great!" Ali yelled. "Lindi got herself carried off by the stupid orcs!"  
  
"How do you know that? Maybe she just got lost..." Abby said, for once trying to act the part of the calming influence.  
  
"I saw it in Galadriel's mirror," Ali replied angrily. She didn't get a chance to finish because Legolas came running out of the forest at this point.  
  
"Good! You can come with us," Ali said commandingly. "We have to go after the orcs"  
  
"No," Legolas said. Before he got a chance to explain, Ali began yelling at him.  
  
"What do you mean, 'NO'?! they took the hobbits and Lindi! Don't you care?!?!"  
  
"You can't go after them," Legolas said calmly. "Your first, and only duty is to try and destroy The Ring."  
  
Ali was silent for a moment. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "Abby and I will head to Mordor if, and ONLY if, you SWEAR that you, Aragorn, and Gimli will head after the orcs."  
  
Legolas thought for a moment. "You might need more help in Mordor..." he began.  
  
"Look: Either we split up or we're all going after the orcs! You're wasting time!" yelled the now short-tempered Ali.  
  
"Then I guess that all I have left to say is: Good Luck," Legolas said.  
  
"There is no such thing as luck, especially here," Abby muttered.  
  
"Thank you Legolas... and the same to you," Ali said, trying to calm down and glare at Abby at the same time. "Come on, Abby," Ali said, picking up her pack and tossing it into one of the boats. Abby did the same thing before helping Ali shove the boat off from shore. They paddled to the far side, left the boats, and continued on foot to the land of Mordor.  
  
----End of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring---- 


	17. The Journey Continues

DISCLAIMER: Three Girls wished very _very _hard for the rights to Lord of the Rings for Christmas. They woke up on Christmas morning and ran down the stairs. They were so excited that they couldn't hold it in... But after opening all of their presents, they had not received the item of their deepest desires... Sorry... We would have shared them with you (maybe).

ABBY'S NOTE: I know that ages have passed on since the last time that our story has met your eyes, and I apologize for the rudeness of my slothful acts. I ask for your forgiveness in this cruel world of stories and criticisms. I have no excuse to speak of, and I am deeply sorry.

Now that that's over. Let me just say thanks for sticking with us for so long. I love all of you guys and I hope that you'll remember to review... I may be able to post again in a week or two. Enjoy this nice long chappie! Es muy bueno!

----Start of: _Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers_----

Chapter 17

Lindi groggily opened her eyes. Her head was pounding, and she was being carried away by an orc. She could see the three hobbits being carried by other orcs. Lindi closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened to her.

Her memory came to her slowly, sort of fading in and out. She remembered the scream of orcs intermingled with the whooshing sound of arrows flying past. There was a fleeting vision of Boromir! He was blowing the Horn of Gondor. Her memory failed her here, but she didn't really need to know any more. She had seen what had happened to the hobbits in the movie, and she could only assume that the same had happened to her. All she could do was groan:

"But I wanted to go to Mordor! Or at least be with Legolas!"

"Shut up you filthy little..."

Now, Lindi did not take kindly to orcs calling her names. This one apparently didn't know that. She whacked him upside his disgusting, knobby head. He let go of her.

She used this short opportunity to hop away, her legs being tied together. However, she did not get very far. Another orc came and grabbed her up and kept trotting.

"AAAAARGH!" Lindi screamed in frustration. "AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

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Legolas had found Aragorn and Gimli. They were sending Boromir's body down the river in one of the elven boats, the Horn of Gondor broken on his breast. It was a solemn ceremony, and Legolas did not wish to interrupt. Once Aragorn and Gimli turned away from the river, he moved forward out of the trees.

"Legolas! We thought the worst had happened to you!" Aragorn ran towards the elf but slowed as he saw the elf's face; it was gray.

"What has happened?" asked Gimli in his gruff voice, somewhat out of breath from the short jog.

"Ali and Abby are on their way to Mordor, as safe as may be, but..." Legolas faltered here.

"But _what,_ Mellon?"

"The hobbits and Lindi have been captured by the orcs. I believe that they are being brought to Saruman."

"We will track them," answered Aragorn. "I know how you'd feel if anything happened to... to them."

Gimli looked from Aragorn to Legolas, not comprehending the silent exchange between man and elf.

"Well, let's go!" he interrupted. "Dwarves are sturdy creatures; I can run!"

Even in this moment of seriousness, Aragorn and Legolas could not help but laugh at this outrageous claim.

"What's so funny?"

They only laugh a little louder and turned to find the trail.

"It's going to be a long journey. Be prepared," said Aragorn as they began to track the orcs.

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Rocks were now underneath the two elves' feet. They had traveled a long way in a short time, so they were extremely tired. There were now what Ali would call intimidating hills and what Abby would call mountains rising in front of them. This was Emyn Muil.

"We're going to Mount Doom!

The Ring will go BOOM!"

The hobbits song had grown on Abby, but not on Ali.

"Will you please stop singing that song?! It is so annoying!" Ali was just a bit exasperated.

"Okay... Oh! I know the perfect song: If I were invisible, I could just watch you in your roo--"

"NOT the stalker song!"

"Well, what would you like me to sing, then?"

"Just don't!"

"Ali, are you feeling alright?"

"YES! For Heaven's sake, YES!"

They walked in silence for a while. Abby contemplated Ali's mood. The only thing that she could blame besides Ali was the Ring. She didn't like it when Ali acted like this, so on the rare occasion that she did, it was doubly bad.

"Ali... maybe you should take a rest..."

"WHAT? Are you implying that I cannot take the pace? We need to go fast now! Keep moving!"

"I wasn't even thinking that, Ali! I know that you can take care of yourself. I just think that you might need to calm down and collect your thoughts. Don't glare at me! I just think you're irritated right now and need to take a breather! You're never like this!"

Ali stopped and looked at Abby. She thought about it for a moment. She _did_ feel a bit irritated. That didn't mean that she should snap at Abby.

"I'm sorry, Abby. I'm just worried. I don't know what has happened to Lindi, and I can't help her. There's also the sheer responsibility of The Ring. It's hard knowing that I have to keep it from Sauron until it can be destroyed."

"I know. I also know that you have me here to help you. I can do things you can't. If I have to carry you up Mount Doom like Sam did for Frodo, I will. I'll do anything you need, Ali!"

"I appreciate that."

"So can I sing again?"

"No."

"Hum?"

"NO!"

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The Uruk-hai kept their steady pace, and Lindi kept an eye on the hobbits the best that she could, but it was growing quite difficult as she had been thrown over the shoulder of a rather unpleasant Uruk-hai. After her little escape attempt the orcs had dealt her some rather nasty blows and had promised her that if they ever stopped she would be promised a sleepless night of pain and misery.

Lindi knew that stopping was inevitable. She'd read about the stuff and had cringed at the thought of it, but now she might end up living it. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the throbbing pain in her head. She had lost all feeling from her waist down about three hours before, which was probably a good thing. She would give anything right now to be able to be back at home, or at least with Abby and Ali.

At least in Mordor she would not be carried everywhere by a smelly orc.

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5 Days Later

They hadn't stopped running for days. They would pause for a few moments for food (which Lindi refused to eat), or to get their bearings. She drifted in and out of consciousness. All the blood rushed to her head, and she would have to force her head up so that she wouldn't black out. The hobbits didn't seem to be doing well at all-- Merry had a large gash over his left eye, and Pippin was as pale as snowy ground. She had noticed that Pippin had dropped his Lorien pendant on the ground, and she knew that Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Sam would come along soon. This also meant that they would be stopping soon to rest, which meant pain for Lindi. She prayed that the Rohirim would show up before anything too awful occurred.

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"Come along! Sam and Gimli, keep up."

"I don't know Mr. Gimli; I don't think I'm gonna make it."

"Come on lad, I know you can." Inside Gimli knew it wasn't true-- Hobbits weren't meant to go on long treks such as these.

Aragorn placed his ear on the ground, closed his eyes, and listened intently to the sound of Uruk-hai feet beating the ground. It had increased in pace since the last time he checked.

"They must have caught our scent. Hurry! They are nearly a day ahead of us."

Gimli came rolling down the hill, followed closely by Sam.

"Come on Gimli! Come on Sam! We're gaining on them!" yelled Legolas over his shoulder.

"We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances."

"I'll never make it! I'm too tired."

"Come now, Laddie. Think of the hobbits and Lindi. We cannot just leave them to die!"

"You're right! I'll do this for them. I will not let them die. Not like Mr. Frodo."

Tears filled his eyes as he thought about his friend dying in an attempt to protect The Ring. This was not allowed to happen to anyone else!

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The head orc stopped and sniffed. The air held the scent of men. They were being tracked. He had to reach Isengard before they were caught.

"What do you smell?" came the gruff voice of another orc.

He sniffed again to make sure. "Man flesh. They've picked up our trail! Move out!"

"Pippin!" called Lindi. She spotted him and Merry. Their arms were tied around the necks of Uruk-hai.

"Pippin! Oh, please answer me!"

"Lady Lindi? How do you fare?"

"I'm doin' just dandy. How about you? Is Merry okay?"

"Merry doesn't stay awake for very long anymore. I hope we stop soon. My arms hurt."

"I know, I want to stop, too..." in reality, Lindi was still scared to stop. "But we must wait. I know Aragorn and company will be here anytime now. Everything will be fine." She smiled. Her face was blood red from hanging upside down for so long.

"I miss my home. I miss the dancing, and the singing, and the ale. I wish I could be at the Green Dragon right now."

"Well, Pippin," said Lindi, now thinking that she might be able to come up with a way to calm him, "I can't dance, and I have no ale, but I can sing... sort of."

"Really? Could you sing for me?"

"I'll try." The only song that came to mind (that was not depressing, that is), was the song that was now stuck in her head:

"Lay down your sweet and weary head

Night is falling, you have come to journey's end.

Sleep now. Dream of the ones who came before.

They are calling from across the distant shore.

Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see all of your fears will pass away.

Safe in my arms you're only sleeping.

What can you see? On the horizon.

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea a pale moon rises

The ships have come to carry you home.

And all will turn to silver glass.

A light on the water all souls pass... Hope fades

Into the world of night

Through shadows calling out of memory and time.

Don't say we have come now to the end.

White shores are calling. You and I will meet again.

And you'll be here in my arms just sleeping.

What can you see? On the horizon.

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea a pale moon rises

The ships have come to carry you home.

And all will turn to silver glass.

Alight on the water Grey Ships pass

Into the West.

Her voice soared over the plains. When she had finished, she looked at Pippin. He was sound asleep, smiling. She knew he was tired and ill. His skin was covered in dirt and looked very pale, but gladly she had put him into a nice dream.

The orcs began to run again. Lindi let her body relax, she would soon be in blackness. Then, she smiled. She had forgotten that elves had the ability to sing, which she definitely didn't have as a mortal. She wondered when they would stop and what would happen with the Riders of Rohan. Would she escape with the hobbits, or would she be captured? Either one sounded a heck of a lot better than being tortured by orcs. Slowly she gave up and slipped out of oblivion.

ABBY'S OTHER NOTE: In case you were wondering, yes, Lindi did write this section for the most part. I DO think that she can sing in real life, but I'm pretty sure her voice doesn't "soar over the plains." Whatever... And, another thing, Lindi definitely has no feelings whatsoever for poor little hobbit Pippin. He's actually a lot like her little brother, Brock... So, if any of you idolize Pippin and want to marry him (that's not going to happen), you should come date Lindi's little brother... hehe. J/K, Lindi!


	18. Lindi's Lollygagging

DISCLAIMER: If we owned The Lord of the Rings, you would be paying us money to read this. And, since you're not… Well, you know.

ABBY'S NOTE: I believe that this is indeed the longest chapter that I have posted so far. And I swear that this time I will post another chapter within the next week! This goes to page 128 in The Notebook, and we've written a total of 290 so far! Just a little more before the story's done on paper! Then we'll be done on the computer soon after. I swear that I am going to post a lot more frequently!

ALI"S NOTE: Yay! I finally have a note in an online chapter of the notebook! As I am having to help Abby post (her computer is being difficult, to put it mildly), I have made the executive decision to add a note. Anyway, we apologize for chapters 17 and 18-somehow, chapter 18 is almost identical to chapter 17. Or at least, it was...that is now fixed! Now, please enjoy this ALL NEW chapter:)

Chapter Eighteen

They continued their trek across the plains, only stopping unless when it was absolutely necessary. A few hours earlier, Legolas' ears had picked up the sound of a voice. He soon realized that it was the voice of an elf. It was singing a song that he had never heard before, but as he listened to the words, it made him think of the sea; that one day he would be called across the sea. Night crept over the plains.

He did not wish to stop, but it was necessary for Gimli and Sam to rest and regain their strength. He took the first watch, pacing, watching, and listening. All that could be heard was the sound of the wind as it blew across the grassy plains of Rohan.

When Lindi felt herself being dropped to the ground, she opened her eyes. She could have tried to run, but the effort would have been pointless, since she couldn't feel her legs any longer. She lay there, stunned for a moment, but quickly regained all of her senses. Blood rushed to her feet, and a tingling sensation went all through her lower body. It soon grew to a great pain.

"But," Lindi thought through clenched teeth, "that is a good thing."

She turned her head in search of the hobbits, and soon spotted them laying next to each other only a short distance away. She also noticed that the orcs were restless and were beginning to complain.

"We ain't goin' no further till we've had a breather!"

"Get a fire going!" yelled Lares. Following his commands, the orcs went to the edge of the forest and began to hack away at tree limbs.

"Fangorn Forest," Lindi smiled. This was the place where the Riders of Rohan would attack and kill all of the orcs.

"Well, Little Girly," snarled a voice from above. She looked up to see that it was the orc who she had whacked over the head. She saw, with a smile, a nice egg on the side of his head. However, she knew, it would cost her.

"You had your fun out there, didn't ya? I bet you did. Well, now it's my turn. Let's see if you can scream as pretty as you sing. I am only allowed one cut, and I am not allowed to kill you. Let me see now…" He looked her up and down. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but it was becoming more difficult now. His sickly yellow eyes debated where to cut her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked slyly, almost making Lindi puke.

"I think I know where to make you scream." He slowly drew his blade, placing it on one side of her torso, and slowly moved it along her abdomen, cutting her deeply the whole way across. Blood oozed out, and Lindi tried to hold on—But the pain was unbearable.

She screamed out into the night.

When he had finished cutting her all the way across, he removed his knife and looked at his work. A deep gash ran across her torso and was bleeding profusely. He smiled, showing his blackened teeth. He took the blade and brought it to his lips, tasting her blood.

His eyes narrowed. He wanted meat.

"When can we have some meat? We haven't had nothing but maggoty for three stinkin' days!"

"Yeah!" said another goblin. "Why can't we have some meats?"

"What abouts them?" commented another. "They're fresh! Oh, they look tasty."

"They are not for eating!" yelled Lares.

"What about their legs? They don't need those. Oh, they look tasty."

"They must arrive at Isengard, alive and unspoiled."

"What about the she-elf? Why do we keep her?"

"The Master said to, so I do. If she is unneeded, she will make good sport…"

Lindi lay sprawled on the ground, tears falling from her bright green eyes. The pain was more than she could bear. She was losing blood fast, and the smell of orcs was making her gag. Never had she felt so hopeless. Her hands were tied above her head, and her feet were bound. Every moment was increasingly painful. Breathing was laborious, and she soon lost the desire to live, altogether.

Suddenly, she heard an orc scream as he was decapitated, making the other orcs scream in delight; they were going to have meat. She closed her eyes and waited for the end, hoping that it would come soon.

Ali and Abby continued their trek over rocks, rocks, and, you guessed it, more rocks.

They both stopped abruptly and looked at each other. Something wasn't right.

"Abby, I…" Ali was cut off.

"I know, I know. I feel it, too. Something is not quite right with Lindi. Is she… dead?"

"I don't think so, but she is not in her happy place."

"Ali? What if she does die? What if you die? What if I die? What will happen in the real world?"

"Oh, shut up! No one is going to die."

"How do you know?"

"I JUST DO!"

Ali was losing her temper. She didn't even want to think about one of her best friends dying, at the hands of orcs, no less. Lindi would not die, anyway. She hadn't met Orlando Bloom yet! She laughed to herself.

"What's so funny?" demanded Abby.

"Lindi can't die."

"How do you figure?"

"She hasn't met Orlando Bloom yet!" She started to laugh again.

"But, Ali, she sort of has! She's met Legolas, who is Orlando Bloom, who is Legolas!" Abby held her hands to her head. "I'm confused."

"It's because you are blonde."

"Hey! But, I bet you're right. She's probably laughing with the hobbits, or (dare I say it?) kissing Legolas!"

"Stop right this instant! Don't even go there!"

"Ha ha! But we better get going, This Ring isn't going to self combust, now is it?"

Abby began humming "The Song That Never Ends."

"Will you drop that freakin' song!"

Abby ignored her and kept humming.

Eomér and his company had spotted the group of Uruk-hi. He sensed that they would be making camp soon, so he called his riders back over the hill away from the camp.

"We shall rid Middle Earth of these foul creatures. Leave none alive. We will surround them, and when I give the signal, charge. Kill all, and take no prisoners. Move out!"

With that, the Rohirrim positioned themselves strategically around the orc camp and waited for night to fall. Eomér stood ready with one of his captains. He looked down at the camp in disgust. Orcs had been roaming freely across the plains of Rohan, and he and his company had been traveling, trying to keep them at bay.

Night fell over the plains, and he smelt the burning of flesh. As he began to gag, he tried to comprehend how the orcs could possibly eat each other.

About an hour later, he felt the time was right. The orcs were eating and unaware. He signaled to the other riders and charged into the camp, his spear in hand.

The hobbits had watched Lindi and had seen everything that the orc had done to her. At first, they did not realize what was happening, but as soon as they heard her scream, their blood ran cold.

"Oh, Pippin," whispered Merry with fear on his face. "Why? Why must they hurt her?"

"I don't know," Pippin replied. "It isn't fair at all."

"Can we get to her? We must do something! We cannot let her suffer without at least trying to help!"

"Calm yourself," Pippin said, more to himself than Merry. "I know that this isn't right, but there isn't anything that we can do."

Without warning, an orc appeared and placed a blade on their throats.

"Go ahead, squeal. No one can save you now!"

Suddenly, the orc screamed out as blood splattered out of his mouth. As he fell, they saw a spear protruding out of his back. A horse and rider came charging, closely followed by more riders. The hobbits quickly searched for cover as they cut their bindings.

Eomér and his riders continued their slaughter of these wretched beings until something caught his eye. However, as he drew nearer, he realized that this was no orc—it was a woman!

He immediately jumped down from his horse to check on her. He saw blood along her stomach, and it looked like her own. He had seen this many times in the battlefield. She was bleeding to death.

How could orcs do this to a woman? He gritted his teeth in anger. Going back to his horse, he tore a strip of cloth from his saddle blanket. He had to stop the bleeding.

A thought suddenly struck him. Was she even alive? He ran back to her to see. He couldn't see her chest rising and falling. He knelt down by her head and placed his ear over her mouth. He felt a very shallow and staggered breath against his cheek. She was alive, but just barely.

He moved his attention down to her abdomen to examine her wounds. He pealed away the cloth from the bloody areas in order to get a better look. It was a straight cut from one side to the other. He had nothing to clean it with, so he wrapped the cloth around her torso, being careful not to move her too much.

She was unconscious, which was a relief of sorts. After he had finished wrapping and tying the cloths, a new problem arose. How was he going to move her? She was very fragile in this state, and any jerky movements would make her worse. But he _had_ to move her somehow.

"Jethrin!" he called, and a rider came over to where Eomér stood. He immediately saw the situation at hand.

"What can we do?"

"We must go back to Edoras; she is dying, and she needs medical assistance."

"Yes. What is it that I can do?"

"You will mount Elider, and when you are ready, I will lift her up to you. You must rest her against yourself to keep her from bouncing around too much. Hurry now!"

Jethrin quickly remounted his steed and prepared himself. Eomér carefully lifted Lindi off of the ground and passed her up to the rider. Jethrin instantly felt how cold she was. He removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. He didn't know what to say. Could she even hear him? He couldn't imagine what she had gone through.

"I will see if the orcs are almost done with. I shall leave a small party behind to pile the carcasses and burn them. Wait here."

Jethrin watched as Eomér rode away. He tried to keep the woman warm, but he could not; she was like ice. He moved the hair that had fallen over her face and put it behind her ears. He gasped as he realized that they were pointed! She was a fair folk—an elf! He had only heard of such mystical creatures as a boy, and now here he was with one dying in his arms. He looked back to see Eomér riding back towards him.

"We lost two," called his captain. "But all of the orcs are dead. Come, we ride to Edoras."

"Eomér, there is something that you should know about her," Jethrin whispered, his eyes large and round.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"She… She…" he couldn't get the words past the lump in his throat.

"What!" yelled Eomér.

'She… She… She's one of them!" he blurted out, gesturing towards her ears.

"One of wha—" Eomér's words were cut short as he saw what Jethrin was pointing at. The woman's ears were pointy. She was no mere woman—she was a she-elf!

"By the gods! Hurry, we must gather the others and travel swiftly to Edoras!"

The Rohirrim drew quickly together at Eomér's command.

Ali and Abby were still wandering through the maze of Emun Muil. It had been days since they had entered the area, and they were hopelessly lost.

The two elves sat down on a large boulder to rest and ponder their situation.

"We're going in circles," Abby announced sadly.

"Great," Ali replied sarcastically. "As lovely as these barred landscapes of rocks and rocky rocks are," she continued, "we need to get out of here soon."

Abby nodded her head in agreement, but she had no Middle Earthly idea how they were going to make it out of this labyrinth; they were trapped in.

Sighing, Ali stood up and turned too face the cliff behind them and sighed. "I'm not going to wait for him to try and strangle me in the night." With one last sigh and a look at Abby, she called up the cliff. " Come on, Gollum, I know you're up there!"

Suddenly, a head popped up from over a ledge. It glared at the two elves before clambering down the steep face of the cliff. The creature, Gollum, sat sullenly on a rock, angry that he had been discovered. He was afraid of the elves, however, so he had come down. He did not know how they had detected his presence—he had been very careful…

"Gollum," Ali said. "You know that we ate elves and what we can do to you, if we so choose." She fingered a strand of elvish rope that was conveniently hanging from her pack.

Gollum knew exactly what Ali meant to do with that rope, and he shrieked in fear. "No! No! That would kill us!" he cried.

"However!" Ali yelled over the din that Gollum was making with his ear-piercing shrieks. "We need you help to get out of these mountains."

Gollum grew quiet as what Ali had said registered in his mind. The elves were asking him to accompany them… and they had The Precious! A dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes.

"You have to swear that you will not try to harm us, and that you won't try to have us harmed, and that you will not try to take The Ring, and that you will not lie to us…" Ali's voice trailed off as she tried to think of anything that she could have missed. When she looked over at Abby, she just shook her head. Turning back to Gollum, she continued, "You must swear by The Ring. It is treacherous and all that, but it will hold you to your word."

"We swears to serve the master of The Precious! We swears on The Precious! Please don't hurt us!" Gollum said eagerly.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Ali said, already becoming impatient with the beast that she knew would betray her later, despite his promise. "You must help us find our way out of here. We are headed to Mordor—you must lead us to the Black Gate."

Gollum shuddered at the command, but he could see the elven rope still hanging out of Ali's pack. He nodded and began to lead his new Mistress and her strangely silent companion out of Emun Muil.

ABBY'S NOTE: If we get 5 GOOD reviews, (Not just: "Oh I loved it!") then I will post the next chapter. It's ready to be posted!


	19. Death Among the Fellowship?

DISCLAIMER: Duh

ABBY'S NOTE: I finally got this computer working to the point that I can get on to the internet! Yay! ¡Es un momento muy bueno! (Sorry, I thought that since our screen name is Spanglish, we should have _some_ Spanish in the entire story.) Hope you enjoy. Will post again soon. For real this time.

Chapter 19

The Rohirrim had been riding for about half an hour. Jethrin would continually attempt to check the she-elf's condition as well as he could while riding. She wasn't getting any better, but she didn't appear to be getting any worse. At least, not by human standards. Jethrin's mind began to wander. Where had she come from? How had she been captured by orcs? Where had the orcs been taking her?

We was startled when a strange voice called out from behind them:

"Rider's of Rohan! What new from the Mark?"

The Rohirrim turned and circled the four strangers who had seemed to pop out of the grass. Jethrin stayed behind the circle in order to prevent anything from happening to the injured elf in his care. He craned his neck to get a better look at the outsiders. Their backs were facing him, but he could tell that they were a strange group...

He let our a gasp of surprise. "Another elf!" he whispered, utterly shocked.

Legolas whirled around. "What do you mean _another_ elf?"

The Rohirrim circle gave way, allowing the travelers to approach Jethrin.

"She was injured by orcs..." he said, his voice trailing off. He could think of nothing else to say.

Legolas took the wounded elf from Jethrin and laid her gently on the ground. He and Aragorn began to examine her wound while conversing in elvish. Gimli and Sam stood back to give them plenty of room. They could not help and would only be in the way.

"Excuse me, sir," Sam asked Jethrin politely. "You wouldn'ta been seein' two others that looked like me? There were two've my kind captured by the same orcs."

Jethrin shook his head. "I didn't, but perhaps Eomér might know something I don't," he suggested. Jethrin was less than hopeful. All the dead orcs were being burned, and he knew it would be easy to lose two small creatures amidst such a massacre. However, he did call Eomér over.

The hobbit asked Eomér the same question. He just shook his head. "We killed the orcs and left none alive. I did not see any little ones among them. We piled the carcasses and burned them," he said grimly, nodding to the area from which they had ridden from. Thick smoke was coming from a large fire a good ways off. "It's possible that..." Eomér's voice trailed off as a look of horror and comprehension crossed Sam's face. Sighing, he continued: "I wish that there was some good news I could give... but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands." With that, he walked over to where Aragorn and Legolas were tending to the she-elf.

"What are your plans?" he asked.

Aragorn could tell that Lindi needed to get to Edoras as fast as possible. There was no way to heal her completely out in the middle of the open Rohan Plains where they were in clear view of anything that might be watching, and she needed rest. But while Eomér was adamant that there was no way that the hobbits could have escaped alive, he knew that he needed to look for himself.

"Legolas, you have to accompany Lindi to Edoras. I have to see if the hobbits really are..." Aragorn's voice trailed off, but Legolas understood. Aragorn continued: "Gimli can come with me, but I think that Sam should go with you and Lindi to Edoras. If the worse did happen--"

"Beggin' your pardon: Sam cut in (He has crept up to join the group and had overheard the conversation.), "but I've come this far, and I've seen my share o' bad things on... Weathertop. I'm no coward, and I'm not turnin' around now."

"Sam..." Aragorn said tiredly, "I know that you aren't a coward, but what good will it do if you go and see... the worst?"

"Well, what good'll come of me goin' to Edoras? I'll be 'f no use there, and if somethin' bad _did_ happen to Merry an' Pippin, I'm gonna find out sooner or later," Sam said stubbornly.

Aragorn was in no mood to argue, and he could see that Sam was not going to back down.

"Fine, Sam. You and Gimli will come with me," he said. If the situation hadn't been so grim, Aragorn would have laughed at the irony: A Ranger and the Heir of Isildor being forced to obey a hobbit gardener.

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Gollum had found the path that he had been looking for. It wasn't much of a path, but it would lead them out of the mountains and into the Dead Marshes.

Gollum began to mutter to himself under his breath. "Nasty elfses... They have the Precious! It's ours... Nasty... tricksy... false!"

"Gollum! We can hear you!" called Ali in a slightly annoyed voice.

Gollum turned and glared at the two elves before turning his attention back to following the faint trace of a path and resuming his mutterings.

Within about forty-five minutes, Gollum had led them to the edge of the Dead Marshes.

"See! See! We leads you out!" Gollum said excitedly. His mood had changed from brooding and angry to falsely cheerful. Abby and Ali could see through what Gollum was trying to do, but they could also see that they needed the creature's assistance in order to make it Mordor.

"Good work, Gollum," said Ali approvingly. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor creature. Even if he was a lying, backstabbing creep. "Alright, I don't think the scenery is enough to stick around for. Let's keep moving," Ali said.

Gollum nodded. "Swift and silent as shadows we must be," he hissed before leading the elves into the mists of the Marshes.

ABBY'S NOTE: Sorry, but Lindi's not dead... yet.


	20. Die! Lindi! Die!

**DISCLAIMER: **

_Vs 1-We're going on a quest, 'Cuz quests are the best. We drink much ale, And we never fail 'cuz— We're going on a quest, a quest, a quest! Oh! We're going on a quest to— Mount Doom! _

_Vs 2-We're going to Mount Doom! The Ring will go BOOM! We're going to Mount Doom— To destroy— The One Ring that rules—"_

Okay... We'll stop singing now. But we really don't have the rights to LOTR. But, gosh darn, I wish I could have them... sigh

**ABBY'S NOTE: Yay! I'm updating and it hasn't been seven months! Yay! Be sure to post to encourage my good behavior... Now I just have to write a new chappie for Ella Ticked Off... My reviewers are ticked off. Enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty

Aragorn peered ahead. The source of the smoke was getting closer, and the sickening smell of burning orc flesh was becoming stronger. He turned and peered over his shoulder to see Gimli and Sam clinging for dear life to the back of an undersized horse. Gimli was in the front, attempting to use the reigns to steer, while Sam was kicking the horse on the sides with his heels, trying to persuade the horse to go a bit faster. Talk about the blind leading the blind...

"Try to keep up!" Aragorn called to the scared-looking pair.

"Completely unnatural. Dwarves aren't supposed to ride these crazy beasts!" Gimli muttered, while Sam nodded vigorously in agreement. As if in protest to being called a crazy beast, the horse began to trot at a jolting pace.

Aragorn couldn't help but laugh as the horse carried the dwarf and the hobbit, both yelling commands to stop while bouncing like rag dolls, across the plains.

But as he turned back towards the rising smoke, his dark moos returned. Merry and Pippin could very well be dead, and he did not look forward to the sight of their bodies if they were. The ranger would fight, and kill, if he had to, but he did not relish it or its aftermath. His nose crinkled in disgust as the sickening smell rose to his nostrils-- orcs smelled worse dead than alive.

Sam was sick to his stomach. The mixture of the nasty smell and the incessant jostling of the horse caused his stomach to tie up in a knot. He wished he knew whether his friends were alive or not, but he was afraid to find out. He was a stubborn hobbit, though, and he was determined to search every dead body in order to find his two comrades.

The little group finally reached the carnage of the battle. There were two fires: one for the orcs and one for the men. Aragorn, though worried for the hobbits, visited the first funeral pyre. After being joined by Sam and Gimli, he dropped his head in remembrance.

"These men died in service to Middle Earth. May they go in peace, knowing they have died to save those they love, and those we love, as well."

The three companions from three very different races of Middle Earth looked upon each other with mutual trust and understanding. They all knew that they could rely on each other in times of need and sorrow. If they were to die as the men burning in front of them had, at least they would die alongside of friends.

Aragorn silently turned away from the peaceful bodies of his fellow men and back towards the carnage of the battle. He walked slowly towards the other fire. He saw many an orc piled atop the stinking heap, but he did not focus on them; he focused on a small cloak near the bottom of the heap.

Sam cried out as he saw it, too. He ran to the rumpled cloak and tugged on it, trying to pull it out from under the dead orcs. He sobbed as he pulled and pulled. When it would not come out, Sam started pulling orcs down from the mound, crying still.

Gimli put his hand on Sam's shoulder, consolingly. "They could not still be alive under there, lad."

"There is still a chance! They are str- strong!"

"Lad..."

"Their bodies should not be burned here! They deserve to leave this world in honor, as those men over there did," he gestured wildly towards the other pyre. "They died on the same side!"

"I know lad. I'll help you."

And so, they both began to pull orcs down from the pile, being careful of the fire, but still burning themselves. Sam cried silently, now.

They finally reached the bottom of the carnage. Gimli held up the cloak.

"There is no hobbit with this cloak..."

After Sam realized that Gimli was right, he noticed that Aragorn had not been helping them. He turned around to see that Aragorn was kneeling on the ground, his hand on the earth.

"What is it, Strider?" asked Sam.

"An elf laid here-- Lindi. Her blood soaks the earth. Legolas must hurry her to Edoras, but..." He moved a few feet away from Sam and spoke again, "The hobbits laid here and crawled here..."

"What? What?" cried Sam.

Aragorn held up a piece of rope that was frayed at the edges. "The rope was cut, their bondage undone." He moved even further away from the fires. "They headed towards the woods!"

"Then, they're alive!" yelled Sam, hope returning, as he ran towards the forest.

"Wait!" Aragorn called after Sam, who stopped.

"What?"

"This is Fangorn Forest-- We must proceed with caution."

"What madness could have driven them into there?" asked Gimli.

------------------------------------------------------------

Legolas lifted Lindi in his arms. He could feel how cool she was, and it worried him greatly. She was drifting away, and Legolas knew it. He couldn't let her die! He walked over to the horse that he had been given by Eomér. He gently lifted Lindi on to the front of the horse. He then mounted himself. He removed his cloak and wrapped it around her. He placed his arm securely around her waist, trying not to hurt her, but also trying to keep her as still as possible. He leaned down and whispered in her ear:

"Hold on, Creirwy, stay with me."

"Are you ready, elf?" called Eomér.

"Yes. Let's go."

And with that, the Rohirrim and the two elves rode towards Edoras.

Two days passed before they reached the capital city. They stopped only twice. Each time Legolas had cleaned and dressed Lindi's wounds. She seemed to grow steadily worse. Her normal pale skin had turned deathly white, and her eyes were sunken into her face. She screamed in the night, and nothing Legolas could do would calm her. He worried for her. He feared that she might not make it. The night terrors drained her of her strength. It was only a matter of time, something she was running out of.

As they entered Edoras, Eomér rode back to Legolas.

"Sir, elf." Legolas looked up. "A word, please."

"Yes, what is it?"

"You will not be welcomed by the king or his... advisor," he nearly spat the word out of his mouth. "I will have to show you a way to sneak into the palace. There is an empty room where you may stay with her and tend to her wounds. I will have my sister secretly get you whatever supplies you may need, as long as we possess it."

"Thank you, Lord Eomér. I am grateful for your hospitality, if not the King's." He wasn't really paying attention to Eomér; he was looking down at the elf in his arms, Her breathing was shallow, and she could no longer hold herself at all.

"Let us go. Follow me."

Legolas dismounted from Arod and followed Eomér with Lindi in his arms.

"Hold on, Lindi. We are almost there." He prayed to the Valor to spare her.

They walked through the halls quietly and came to a room that seemed to be empty. Eomér opened the door and led them in. The bed was a good size, and it was adorned by a few pillows and a blanket. Looking around, Legolas also noticed a dresser, nightstand, and a desk.

"I will send my sister with water and bandages as soon as may be. Is there anything else we may provide you with?"

"Yes, I think. I will need cloths, a nightgown for the lady, a candle, a sharp needle, and thread."

"I will see what I can do." Eomér left the room.

Legolas carried Lindi over to the bed and put her down gently. He removed her bandages. He saw that the blood flow had stopped, which gave him hope, but she had lost so much already.

"Sir?" A voice from the doorway startled Legolas; he had been so absorbed in caring for Lindi that he had not heard the woman approach. He surveyed her and saw that she carried the supplies that he had asked for.

"Come in, Milady," he greeted her quietly.

"My brother asked me to deliver these things to you." She looked past Legolas and saw the pale elf lying on the bed. She took in a quick gasp of air-- the elf looked near to death!

Legolas walked over to the woman and took the things from her. She just stood there in shock. She finally found her voice again.

"Do... do... you need anything else?" she whispered.

"No, milady. I just need to be left alone to tend to my companion."

She nodded, and turned to leave, closing the door behind her.

Legolas returned to the bed to look at Lindi once again. He placed the items on the nightstand and sat down next to her. Removing their pouch from an inner pocket, he took some herbs and put them into the basin of water. He then proceeded to take one of the cloths and soak it in the water.

He whispered softly to Lindi, "I'm sorry, Creirwy, this will sting." As he placed the cloth over her wound, she jerked slightly, but he continued to speak words of comfort to her.

When he was done cleaning the wounds to the best of his ability, he lit the candle and heated the needle in its flame. Threading the needle with thread, he tested its sharpness-- it would do. Carefully, he sewed the she-elf's wound shut. An hour later, he finished his job, exhausted but satisfied.

"My lord?" Legolas turned toward the door where the woman stood. "My brother sent me to check on you."

"Yes, milady. And I do have a favor to ask."

"What is that, my lord?"

"Could you change her into this nightgown? I would myself, but..."

The woman smiled up at him. "Of course, my lord." She moved over to the bed as Legolas left the room to stand in the hall, arms crossed. Ten minutes later, the woman came out and told him that he could return to her bedside.

He walked to where Lindi lay. She looked peaceful... almost too peaceful.

"I must go to see the prince," she whispered. "He has died, and I would like to pay my last respects."

Legolas nodded slowly.

"I am Eowyn. If you need anything, let me know."

She bowed and left him to his vigil. Once she had left, Lindi began to groan, her face contorted. Legolas wished with all of his being that she would wake.

**ABBY'S NOTE: Again... not dead yet... Muahahaha!**


	21. DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!

**DISCLAIMER: **If we owned the rights to LOTR, we'd post more often.

**ABBY'S NOTE: **Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm slow. I have to update my own fanfic, too, you know? Shameless plug Ella Ticked Off Shameless plug Anyway, here we go...

**Chapter 21**

_Lindi's Dream..._

_The world around her spun in many colors._

"_Alright, hold on there. Stop spinning," she said to the many colors. "Where am I?" she asked to no one in particular._

"_This is a dream, creirwy. Almost a midpoint."_

_Lindi turned around. There stood Galadriel as bright and beautiful as ever._

"_A midpoint? What the crap do you mean a midpoint?"_

"_Come walk with me, child, and I shall tell you everything you need to know._

"_OK? Yeah... umm... yeah." Lindi walked over to Galadriel and they continued to speak._

"_So, Lindi, tell me what you would like to know.:_

"_Okay... Anything?"_

"_Anything. However, I cannot promise an answer."_

"_Fine... umm... how did Abby, Ali, and I get here?"_

"_That I do not know. I'm sure it will be revealed to you in due time."_

"_Okay... Then are Ali and Abby going to both make it to Mordor?"_

_Galadriel turned and looked at Lindi with her piercing eyes. "No. They will not both make it to Mordor."_

"_What! Why not? What's going to happen?"_

"_You will learn. I promise. Soon, that will be revealed to you, as well."_

"_Argh... Fine. Well, okay. Umm... Why can't I wake up?"_

"_You have been greatly injured. Right now, you are in Edoras with the eleven prince."_

_She turned and walked away. Lindi tried to follow, but was once again in a swirl of color._

"_Galadriel!" she screamed. "Come back! I have more questions!"_

"_You will see me soon, little one."_

_Lindi struggled to escape the colors and they soon faded to black._

_Back in Edoras_

Her eyes snappedopen. She struggled to focus them, blinking rapidly. Soon she focused her eyes and saw Legolas sitting next to her.

"Lindi?" he said quickly.

"Legolas?" she said with a raspy voice.

"Yes, I'm here." He had to take all his self control to not wrap his arms around her and hug her to death.

"I'm so tired. Where are Aragorn and Gimli?"

"They will be here soon. Rest, soon you will be back to normal."

"Crap, is it cold in here?" Lindi shivered a little. She stopped suddenly. "Wait—elves don't feel the cold, do they?"

"No, they do not"

"Then why am I so… cold?" Lindi shivered again.

"It will all be over soon. You will get well and be able to practice swordplay again. You have been avoiding it these past few weeks."

Lindi laughed and then clutched her stomach in pain.

"You will be the death of me," said Lindi with a half smile.

"I hope not, Milady."

"Will you stop with the Milady, thing? You make me feel like royalty or something. Which I am so not."

"It's merely my respect for you."

"Well, just stick with plain Lindi, please."

"As you wish," he smiled at her.

"What? Why are you smiling?"

"Look at your necklace, Milady, and you will see why I smile."

Lindi looked at her necklace. It was glowing red She used her hand to touch it, then jerked her hand away.

"What's wrong?"

"It's warm—feel it."

He reached out his hand and touched it. The necklace was indeed warm. He moved his hand away.

"That might warm you, so you no longer feel the cold."

"I hope so. But, I'm not really cold. It was just more like a slight chill."

"Whatever you say, Creirwy."

"That's right--- Whatever I say, you will comply." She tried to keep a firm look on her face, but it didn't work. She smiled, laughed, and cringed in pain. They both sat for a moment in silence. Then Lindi broke it:

"I think you should go out to the entrance of the city."

"Why?" he raised his eyebrows and looked at her.

"Do you wish to meet Aragorn, Gan… I mean Gimli?" she had to stop before she said Gandalf. She kept forgetting that Legolas didn't know what was going to happen.

"How do you know they are there?"

She smiled. "Trust me."

He looked at her quizzically, but decided not to press Lindi's apparent psychic ability. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. You have fun."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you. Patience my young elf prince, patience."

"You call me young? Of what age are you, Milady?"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you never to ask a woman her age?"

"Yes, but you're a she-elf, not just a mere woman."

"Well, how old are you, then?"

"I am 2,900 years old."

"HOLY FUDGE! Ouch!" she had sat up when Legolas had dropped the bomb about his age. That was a mistake, as pain shot through her body.

"Don't move! You will tear your stitches. Just rest. I will go to the city gate and wait."

"You do that. I'm gonna go back to sleep."

"You do that. I'll be back as soon as I can." And with that, he kissed her forehead and walked out.

Lindi, though she didn't want to admit it, felt like she was going to die, or at least melt. She was so tired and sore that she fell back into a deep sleep. She found herself in front of two large gates. They were dark iron with mallorn leaves. As she walked closer, she saw shadows floating beyond the gates.

"Creepy," she thought.

"Welcome to the Halls of Thingol, Lindi."

Lindi jumped and turned, only to see Galadriel standing behind her. "You really need to stop doing that! One of these days you're going to give me a freakin' heart attack!"

"No I won't. You are very young and will not face such things as an elf."

"Oh? How do you know I'm young?"

"Dear Lindi, 18 is hardly old in comparison to 1,800 or 18,000 years."

"Well yeah, I guess. So why am I in the Halls of Thingol unless…" her blood ran cold. "I'm not dead, am I?"

**ABBY'S NOTE: **So…. Is she? Or is she not? Hehe


End file.
